Online learning is becoming paramount to student success. Even before COVID-19, students across Northwest Indiana needed online learning tools to continue their education. And for years, Indiana University Northwest has been at the forefront of virtual education.

“IU Northwest is already a leader in online education, allowing us to excel during this period of increased remote learning,” Chancellor Ken Iwama said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Academic Media Production (AMP) Space, the campus’s new, state-of-the-art production studio.

Located in the John W. Anderson Library/Conference Center, the AMP Space was designed with both students and instructors in mind. Although every feature was already decided prior to COVID-19, its opening couldn’t have come at a more serendipitous time.
“Now more than ever, our students expect—and deserve—engaging, high quality instruction that brings their lessons to life in an impactful, memorable way,” Iwama added.

As online learning continues to be crucial for student success, standard technology can begin to feel limiting and repetitive. Fortunately, the AMP Space was designed for innovative and forward-thinking faculty members who strive to teach their material in new and interesting ways.

“The space is a demonstration of [the university’s] commitment to teaching and learning. The studio is the most recent manifestation of IU Northwest’s strong support for faculty professional development and student success,” Director of the Center for Innovation and Scholarship in Teaching and Learning (CISTL) Christopher Young said.

One way that commitment to success manifests itself is through numerous innovative features, opening up new, interactive tools and resources for faculty and students. For example, the studio boasts Light Boards that allow faculty to face the camera while writing and a green screen that gives instructors the chance to teach in front of still images, videos, or PowerPoint presentations.

Young expects to use much of this technology in his own classroom. “I anticipate using the ‘Green Screen’ and the Picture-in-Picture features to convey key ideas more powerfully,” he said.

But whenever new technology is introduced, there’s certain to be a learning curve. Fortunately, the design team already had faculty training needs in mind when conceptualizing the AMP Space.

“Faculty will receive technical consultation and be guided with best practices for self-recording, custom animation video, content creation, Kaltura interactive video for creating Choose Your Own Adventure videos, and so much more,” Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Vicki Román-Lagunas said.

When it comes to crafting online lesson plans, faculty will have the chance to be more creative with their curriculum and, hopefully, boost student engagement, both online and in-person.

“The studio opens opportunities for faculty to reimagine how they teach their courses. This applies to both online and in-person instruction. The studio invites faculty to consider new, creative, and innovative ways to convey content,” Young said.

The AMP Space is located in the Anderson Library Conference Center, Room 333.