Writing for Visual Media
Create a project and document the process
Design of Visual Images
Turn a digital design into a physical form
Assemble and customize a VR headset to continue the story
Instructor: Ruth Eckles
My class is called “Writing for Visual Media,” and so the hands-on activities at the Maker Hub seemed like a fun and unique way for the students to practice visual writing skills.
The way I set up the assignment was to pair up the students – one would execute the activity, and the other would document the activity through notetaking and photos. They would then produce blog and social media posts about their experiences.
The student pairs worked on a variety of tactile activities that the Maker Hub staff provided for us ranging from stickers to bookends to cardboard lamps to sewing projects.
The point of engaging in these activities was to practice their multimedia storytelling skills. They produced a blog and social media posts integrating photos, video clips, and text to tell the story of their experience at the Maker Hub.
Why the Hub?
I think it’s important for students to learn outside of the classroom. I think it’s great that Elon provides opportunities to partner with other departments to learn in unique ways.
With so much time on phones and computers, I think students also need more opportunities to have hands-on, tactile learning – as well as to interact with people other than their instructors. I saw my students come to life being able to use their hands and brains at the same time. They had fun – also an under-utilized (yet scientifically proven) part of learning.
I think it went great! I would definitely do it again and highly recommend other professors/classes collaborate with the Hub in a way that’s aligned with course objectives. My students absolutely loved their experience at the Hub.
Student quotes from their blog posts:
- “Our group was able to bond through learning a new skill together and helping each member problem solve”
- “I learned a lot about myself from this experience in the Maker Hub.”
- “Activities like this at the Maker Hub are a great way to be creative, relieve stress, and try something new!”
Instructor: Ben Hannam
Learn about how collecting precedence and gathering research can help guide their decision-making process. It also gives students an opportunity to make models, test their ideas, and think about the viability of their concept. Students are given an Illustrator file of a flattened cube. The assignment is to alter the file so the assembled cube is a specific size. Students are also welcome to use the laser engraver later in the course when they are working on a package design.
A paper cube laser cut to a specific size.
Laser engraver, Adobe Illustrator
The cubes are cut on bristol paper.
Why the Hub?
The course is about design problems, and the Maker Hub allows objects to be designed and created.
I’ve done this project multiple times, and I’m likely to repeat this project again in future semesters because of the high level of student engagement.
Instructor: Kelly Furnas
Students built a cardboard virtual reality headset for a unit about storytelling in VR. The idea was to get students to understand that the medium is just as important as the message. Creating a virtual environment that users can explore is pretty easy technologically, but it’s important that students understand the limitations (or opportunities) that come with the tools users will have when consuming that media, the VR headset. For example, some students chose to create a strap that would allow users to enter the virtual environment hands-free. Others chose to paint the inside of their viewing device black to help with contrast.
Students were tasked with creating and decorating a Google Cardboard virtual reality device.
We used the laser cutter to create the initial cardboard cutouts, then students used any supplies found in the Maker Hub to decorate or enhance them.
Students used a myriad of materials, such as rubber bands, paints, markers, construction paper, glue, stickers, and more.
Why the Hub?
Sort of a three-fold answer:
- It was the absolute best venue to complete the objective listed above
- I wanted students to be exposed to the Maker Hub and to realize resources are there to help them think critically about how they can present content not just in my class but others.
- It gets them outside the classroom. It’s a great way to pivot away from lecture- or computer lab-style instruction when possible, and the Maker Hub is an easy, accessible, relevant opportunity to do that.
Definitely a success. I’d definitely employ it again when I teach the course again.
Kuunda mradi na kumbukumbu ya mchakato: Kubuni picha za kuona: Kugeuza muundo wa dijiti kuwa fomu ya kimwili: Kuunganisha na kubadilisha headset ya VR ili kuendelea na hadithi: Mwalimu: Ruth Eckles: Darasa langu linaitwa <unk> Kuandika kwa Media ya Visual <unk>, na hivyo shughuli za mikono katika Maker Hub zilionekana kama njia ya kufurahisha na ya kipekee kwa wanafunzi kufanya mazoezi ya ujuzi wa kuandika. Njia niliyoiweka kazi ilikuwa kuunganisha wanafunzi wawili - mmoja angefanya shughuli hiyo, na mwingine angerekodi shughuli hiyo kupitia kurekodi na kupiga picha. Kisha wangetengeneza blogi na machapisho ya media ya kijamii kuhusu uzoefu wao. Wanafunzi wawili walifanya kazi katika shughuli mbalimbali za kugusa ambazo wafanyakazi wa Maker Hub walitupa kuanzia stika hadi bookends hadi taa za makaratasi hadi miradi ya kushona. Lengo la kushiriki katika shughuli hizi lilikuwa kufanya mazoezi ya ustadi wao wa kusimulia hadithi za multimedia. Walitengeneza blogi na machapisho ya media ya kijamii kuunganisha picha, video, na maandishi ili kuelezea hadithi ya uzoefu wao katika Kituo cha Mtengenezaji. Kwa nini Kituo hicho? Nadhani ni muhimu kwa wanafunzi kujifunza nje ya darasa. Nadhani ni kubwa kwamba Elon hutoa fursa ya kushirikiana na idara nyingine kujifunza kwa njia ya kipekee. Kwa muda mwingi kwenye simu na kompyuta, nadhani wanafunzi pia wanahitaji fursa zaidi za kuwa na mikono, kujifunza kwa kugusa <unk> pamoja na kuingiliana na watu wengine kuliko walimu wao. Niliona wanafunzi wangu wakipata uhai wakiwa na uwezo wa kutumia mikono na akili zao kwa wakati mmoja. Walikuwa na furaha <unk> pia sehemu underutilized (bado kisayansi kuthibitishwa) ya kujifunza. Nadhani ilienda vizuri sana! Mimi bila shaka kufanya hivyo tena na sana kupendekeza maprofesa wengine / madarasa kushirikiana na Hub katika njia ambayo ni aligned na malengo ya kozi. Wanafunzi wangu walipenda kabisa uzoefu wao katika Kituo hicho. "Mfano wa ""Makundi ya Maker"" ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" ambayo ni ""Makundi ya Maker"" na ""Makundi ya Maker""." Pia huwapa wanafunzi nafasi ya kutengeneza mifano, kupima mawazo yao, na kufikiria juu ya uwezekano wa dhana yao. Wanafunzi wanapewa faili ya Illustrator ya kiunzi kilichopigwa. Kazi ni kubadilisha faili hivyo cube kusanyiko ni ukubwa maalum. Wanafunzi pia ni kukaribishwa kutumia engraver laser baadaye katika kozi wakati wao ni kufanya kazi juu ya kubuni kifurushi. Kiasi cha karatasi kilichokatwa kwa laser kwa ukubwa fulani. Laser engraver, Adobe Illustrator Cubes ni kukatwa juu ya karatasi bristol. Kwa nini Kituo hicho? Kozi ni kuhusu matatizo ya kubuni, na Maker Hub inaruhusu vitu kuwa iliyoundwa na kuundwa. Nimefanya mradi huu mara nyingi, na nina uwezekano wa kurudia mradi huu tena katika semesters ya baadaye kwa sababu ya kiwango cha juu cha ushiriki wa mwanafunzi. Kelly Furnas, Mwalimu wa VR, aliandika juu ya kifaa cha VR cha VR ambacho kinaweza kuunda hadithi za VR. Wazo lilikuwa kuwafanya wanafunzi waelewe kwamba njia ni muhimu kama ujumbe. Kuunda mazingira ya virtual ambayo watumiaji wanaweza kuchunguza ni pretty rahisi kiteknolojia, lakini ni muhimu kwamba wanafunzi kuelewa mapungufu (au fursa) kwamba kuja na zana watumiaji itakuwa na wakati wa matumizi ya vyombo vya habari kwamba, VR headset. Kwa mfano, baadhi ya wanafunzi walichagua kuunda mkanda ambao ungewaruhusu watumiaji kuingia katika mazingira ya virtual bila kutumia mikono. Wengine walichagua kupaka rangi nyeusi sehemu ya ndani ya kifaa chao cha kutazama ili kusaidia kutofautisha. Wanafunzi walipewa kazi ya kuunda na kupamba kifaa cha hali halisi cha Google Cardboard. Kwa kutumia laser cutter, wanafunzi waliweza kuchora picha za karatasi na kuunda picha za karatasi za karatasi, na kisha kutumia vifaa vya kuhariri na kuboresha picha. Wanafunzi walitumia vifaa vingi, kama vile mikanda ya mpira, rangi, alama, karatasi ya ujenzi, gundi, stika, na mengineyo. Kwa nini Kituo hicho? "Jibu la aina ya tatu: ""Ilikuwa mahali pazuri kabisa kukamilisha lengo lililoorodheshwa hapo juu - nilitaka wanafunzi wafunuliwe kwa Maker Hub na kutambua rasilimali zipo kuwasaidia kufikiri kwa ukali juu ya jinsi wanaweza kuwasilisha maudhui sio tu darasa langu lakini wengine.""" - Inawafanya waondoke darasani. Ni njia nzuri ya kugeuka mbali na hotuba- au kompyuta maabara-style mafundisho wakati inawezekana, na Maker Hub ni rahisi, kupatikana, muhimu fursa ya kufanya hivyo. Bila shaka ni mafanikio. Mimi bila shaka kutumia tena wakati mimi kufundisha kozi tena.