The DIY kits are media making tools, designed by the Business Co-Design (BCD) media team to empower staff to create their own video and audio content (Britton, et al., 2020). Each DIY kit has been built to serve a specific purpose, from talking head videos, to pen-cast recordings. User experience is front of mind in the design of the kits, ensuring that staff at all levels of media competency can easily produce professional media content.
Improving the digital literacy within the Business School
Educators across the Business School have been taking advantage of the DIY kits to produce high-quality media content. You can see below some examples of how our staff have used the kits to create high quality videos.
Along with the DIY kits, the BCD media team is actively seeking to further aid staff in their media making processes through various training resources. For example, we have created ‘how-to’ video guides, ranging from simple shooting & editing tips to more complex audio/visual mixing in Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). Our student interns have also created several videos, such as an animated explainer video, which teaches academics about creating animated videos. We also run online workshops, based on demand for various media-related topics, and hands-on, face-to-face demonstrations of media resources.
What kits do we have and where/how do they fit within a learning context?
Desktop kit: The Desktop Kit supports the production of a sit-down ‘talking head’ videos such as explainers, mini-lectures and welcome videos. It is also suitable for facilitating participation in webinars, creating your own podcasts or for capturing voice-over for screencasts or animations.
Vox-pop Audio kit: The Vox-pop kit (audio) is a portable audio recording kit that is ideal for capturing high-quality expert interviews, quick self-recorded tips for students or voiceover material for podcasts, animations or other video content. This kit is also suitable for supporting research projects – such as documenting focus group interviews, capturing discussion at conferences or seminars, or recording voice memos.
Vox-pop Video kit: The Vox-pop kit (video) is a versatile option for capturing student or subject matter expert interviews, in addition, to self-recorded piece-to-camera videos, such as mini-lectures, explainers or welcome videos. This kit can also be used to facilitate participation in remote webinars or meetings. Additionally, the kit can be used for simple audio production, such as single-person field recordings.
Fly on the Wall kit: The Fly on the Wall kit is suitable for recording in-situ interviews (with subject matter experts/industry guests, for example), capturing lectures or tutorials, documenting focus groups, and any other recordings that require only ‘fixed-position coverage. This kit works with an integrated app for video and audio recording, offering maximum flexibility for videography, self-recording or audio-only production.
Point and Shoot kit: The Point and Shoot kit is best suited for longer duration recordings or for any content that requires a higher production spec. This kit offers users increased functionality, such as intuitive zoom and focus controls, image stabilisation, low light capability and high-resolution recording (in 4K).
Chalk and Talk kit: The Chalk and Talk kit has been designed primarily to facilitate the remote production of pencasts. These are videos that feature writing and/or drawing on screen – generally annotation of an existing document or a ‘white board’ explainer – recorded with an explanatory voice-over. This format is typically used for the purposes of guided review or to explain a threshold concept, formula or process. This kit can also be used to record more conventional screencast videos (that is, screen recordings without annotation).
Kubi kit: Kubi is a telepresence device that allows students to participate in classroom activities remotely. With this kit, students can communicate with their classmates via video and audio, in addition to being able to share their screen, create annotations, and control their viewing angle. Kubi is particularly well suited to facilitating remote participation in group work and presentations.
On the Move kit: The On the Move kit is designed for filming in environments where there is a need to physically move position at regular intervals. This kit turns your Apple or Android smartphone into a mini-Steadicam, allowing you to continuously record activities that require movement. Such as dynamic group collaboration in tutorials, guest interviews or pieces to camera that progress through space, or fieldwork that requires nimble coverage.
With the DIY kits, staff take media production into their own hands, upskilling their media capabilities while providing an enhanced, more engaging learning experience for students.
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