Upgraded studios bring new flexibility to instructional media production
Creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences often requires the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies. Over the last year, UCATT Multimedia has focused on modernizing outdated technology and expanding creative possibilities. As part of this undertaking, key updates include the launch of a redesigned One-Button Studio and the introduction of new LED walls to the two Harvill studios.
“Multimedia is continuously evolving,” said Georgia Davis, director of multimedia and creative initiatives. “It is our role as a multimedia team in the teaching and learning center to stay on top of emerging trends, best practices in the teaching and learning literature, and new technologies so we can help instructors create the best possible content for their courses.”
Modernizing the One Button Studio
The One Button Studio, a self-service recording space available to the U of A community, has long supported the creation of presentations with a single click. With its recent upgrade, the studio now offers enhanced flexibility and improved production quality. Presenters can upload content via a USB drive or connect their own laptop. A teleprompter supports a scripted presentation and, with expanded green-screen capabilities, there are now more options for backgrounds, such as colors, settings, slides, and even the laptop screen.
This simple workflow allows presenters, especially educators, to focus on their presentation at their own pace and convenience. As a result, presenters can quickly create clear, professional, and engaging content. Students, faculty and staff can reserve this space through the One Button Studio webpage.
New LED Walls Expand Creative Possibilities
A major service UCATT provides is working with instructors, following a consultation, to create content for their online courses in our three studios. In support of that work, Studios A and B in the Richard A. Harvill Building have recently been upgraded with new LED wall technology, replacing aging set designs and expanding visual storytelling options.
These LED walls can serve as an immersive background for all of our filming formats: lectures, interviews, green screen, demos, and more. Instructors can choose from materials such as PowerPoints, PDFs, Google Slides, and Keynotes to appear seamlessly behind them. Instructors can select customized virtual settings aligned with course content, such as concert halls for music instruction or space-themed environments for astronomy courses.
These enhancements support the creation of more dynamic and visually engaging learning materials, enriching the online educational experience for students. Additional information about these capabilities and related services is available on the UCATT Video and Audio Production webpage.
