Technology may be constantly advancing, yet one Northwestern facility is keeping the humanities with the digital age. Chris Kim has the story.
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It’s been under different names; it’s supported innovative projects; yet this
department had remained “a hidden enclave” for nearly 50 years.
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Located on the second floor of Kresge Hall, Weinberg’s Media and Design
Studio, or MADS, serves as the technological hub for the digital humanities.
Since its start, the studio’s director Matthew Taylor describes how the
department’s role has evolved with the ever changing technology.
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MATTHEW TAYLOR: In the 1970s, students were sitting in carrels listening to audio materials to learn languages. Then came projectors, film strips, VCRs, always some kind of technology. Even before every classroom had a project, like acomputer and a projector, we were the ones wheeling in the TV carts to the classroom.
When you enter the Media and Design Studio today, the space has familiar and unexpected study resources any student may need. From
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work computers with access to Adobe suite
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conference rooms for studying in peace
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or even consoles for playing required video
games for classes, MADS has it all.
The studio also partners with specific humanities classes in Weinberg to provide access
to multimedia resources such as recording suites. They even allow students to check
out video and podcasting equipment.
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Taylor, though, is still looking at what new technology the studio can help integrate into education such as virtual reality.
TAYLOR: This department has, you know, many ideas and thoughts on how that could possibly evolve and what support we could provide for that, ranging from including VR in
classes to potentially using VR as for creating virtual environments for either hybrid learning or inter-institutional experiences.
But technological accessibility is more than new tools for Taylor. He also wants MADS to take on the mission of promoting digital literacy for Northwestern students.
Taylor: Not everybody has those tendencies or maybe even know-hows, and I think those are things that we can help impart in addition to “how do I use this camera?” or “how do I make this video?”
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Whether you’re looking for a quiet study spot this midterm season or the Media and Design Studio serves as a comprehensive resource for students.
For WNUR, this is Chris Kim.
