The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) has launched a multimedia studio to create effective learning experiences for the 21st century student and support the various programme renewal processes that are currently underway at the faculty.

The FMHS multimedia studio is housed on the K-floor in the Clinical Building on the Tygerberg campus, and is managed by the Centre for Health Professions Education (CHPE) team. The facility boasts an assortment of technologies to suit various teaching needs, with learning technology advisors on standby to help staff become acquainted with the new tools.

"We are very proud to introduce the brand-new state-of-the-art multimedia studio, which officially opened in October," says Prof Susan van Schalkwyk, director of the CHPE.

"The purpose of this innovation is to create high-quality content that will enhance the learning experience of students at the FMHS. The studio development was spearheaded by the learning technologies team at the CHPE, led by Mariëtte Volschenk, and is in line with the vision of our Vice Dean for Learning and Teaching, Prof Julia Blitz."

According to Volschenk, the studio is designed to be a multipurpose facility that allows staff to record content presentations, voice-over content and expert panel discussions.

"The FMHS multimedia studio consists of an acoustically treated production room where content can be presented, and teaching moments can be recorded in high quality. A wide range of technologies is available to suit staff members' teaching needs," she says.

This includes microphones for all types of audio and video recordings, a 65-inch plasma screen, a Wacom drawing tablet, video conference microphones, GoPro's, an educational light board, and a RODECaster Pro podcasting system that comes with a soundboard and Rode microphones to record high-quality podcasts. There is also a range of editing and content development software available.  

If staff members are unable to visit the studio, a Padcaster Mobile recording unit is available to be booked out for use in their respective offices or teaching environments. This includes a greenscreen, iPad, camera lenses, microphones, monitoring headset, teleprompter, lighting kit and tripod.

"If all of this sounds rather intimidating, do not worry – there really is no need," Volschenk adds. "The studio has an experienced learning technologies team who are available to assist staff with the new technologies and help them with the structuring and editing of their content."

The FMHS was able to develop the studio and purchase the equipment thanks to two grants it received from the Fund for Innovation and Research into Learning and Teaching (FIRLT) and the Integration of Technology in Curriculum from Stellenbosch University's Centre for Learning Technologies, respectively.

"The CHPE Learning Technologies team would also like to thank Mr Stefan Engelbrecht and Mr Eben Mouton from FMHS Business Management for their support, as well as Drs JP Bosman and Sonja Strydom from the Centre for Learning Technologies for their guidance, during the process of setting up this unique resource. Finally, we would like to convey our appreciation to Prof Julia Blitz for her vision that made it happen," van Schalkwyk concludes.  

Book the studio: To ensure the multimedia studio and equipment are available, please book 48 hours prior to the date by clicking on the following link: https://stellenbosch.sharepoint.com/sites/CHPE/StudioBooking

Photo caption: Prof Jonathan Carr, head of the Division of Neurology at FMHS, pictured here as one of the first users of the studio. (Photo supplied by CHPE.)