ITSS MediaHub Upgrades the CoLab and Other Services
This article was originally published in the October print edition of The Bark, distributed at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.
Patrick Lee Clark, an English Teaching Assistant Professor at UMD, uses the help of CoLab staff and CoLab technology to learn how to use Adobe software for creating graphic designs for his upcoming music album. Photo by Valencia Ruprecht
The ITSS MediaHub has given the CoLab new life and a new location. It can now be found in Kirby Plaza 143 along with new tools and upgrades that sanction large group work and an increased variety in services. The upgrade allows for collaboration opportunities with classes with 15 to 20 students able to come into the space for classwork, group projects or workshops.
Tiffany Quade, the Learning Media and Technology Coordinator at ITSS Mediahub, is passionate about art education and improving the MediaHub tools available for students.
“Students and faculty can use the CoLab for academic, research or personal projects,” Quade said. “We see everything from supporting students to print 3D printed drone parts to a variety of video editing and graphic design projects.”
The MediaHub will be hosting a variety of workshops for students and faculty throughout this school year in order to realize their vision of increasing collaboration. Michael Lindau, a faculty member of MediaHub, will be leading outreach services to support students while Quade leads outreach for faculty and instructional staff using the CoLab space.
“Larger collaborations are supported in the physical space which was intentionally designed to be an active learning space to host workshops and instruction,” Quade said. “There is instructional space in the back which is open for creative exploration for digital or hands-on projects.”
There is now a Mac Mini and Wacom One work station offered in the CoLab. This station lets an individual work on digital documents and create digital drawings and paintings using the tablet and pen on the computer.
For studio artists, photographers or anyone with a larger document, two large scale Epson XL 10000 scanners have been added. They can scan flat images that are up to 12.2-inch-by-17.2-inch large and capture a resolution of up to 2,400-by-4,800 dpi.
A 3D print in the CoLab in progress. Photo by Valencia Ruprecht
The CoLab has gained two permanent Cricut vinyl cutter machines and heat pressers for creating custom printed clothing and fabrics. Students, UMD faculty and student organizations will be able to use these tools to create t-shirts, bags or other materials for free. There will be a limit to how many materials can be created at a time in order to be able to serve everyone at UMD.
Other MediaHub services have also experienced recent upgrades. The Portrait Studio, formerly known as the LinkedIn Portrait Studio, now has new backgrounds available for professional portrait photos in Kirby Plaza 173. There is a new location called the Recording Studio which is set up with everything needed for podcasting in Kirby Plaza 174. The iMac Lab has been moved to Kirby Plaza 175 to reflect the demands on the computer lab which was not being fully utilized last year.
Two professors are currently using the CoLab for their classes. John O’Niel is using the CoLab to teach students enrolled in User-Centered Design to design, prototype and produce pieces for a sensory-based game board design project using the 3D printer. Andrew Snustad is using the resources for a Spanish Filmmaking course where students will work with the CoLab to learn how to edit videos and create workflows to produce an original film.
“When it comes to art and design, it really is a skill and a muscle you can strengthen,” Quade said. “Creativity is through all the learning we do and it is present in our whole brain. You can take these skills you learn in creativity with you into life.”