OLD DOMINION JOINS NEW MEDIA CENTERS CONSORTIUM

Old Dominion recently was named a member of New Media Centers, a consortium of prestigious higher education institutions and innovative technology companies, that work together to enhance learning and teaching through the use of new media technologies.

Joining the likes of MIT, Princeton, Northwestern and the University of Michigan, Old Dominion was one of 10 universities in the country selected as a New Media Center site.

New media include 3D modeling and simulation, digital animation and many other cutting-edge technologies, explained Margaret Byrne, director of Old Dominion's Center for Learning Technologies.

As part of its membership, Old Dominion will have access to scholars and practitioners who research new media, vendors who sell new media products and colleagues who can provide different perspectives on new media technology.

Old Dominion's New Media Center, which will be housed on campus in the Gornto TELETECHNET Center, will serve as a site where colleagues from education and business can collaborate in developing practical uses of new technologies.

Faculty will also be able to exchange ideas, curricula and best practices with colleagues around the country.

As part of its commitment to enhance the learning process, Old Dominion will take advantage of the consortium resources to train faculty and staff in new media, promote new media to distance learning sites, offer new workshops and provide an array of new media technologies to faculty and students.

"This center will provide service and activities that will improve distance learning," said Byrne. "It will enhance course delivery, increase access for students and build a new media community that will allow us to think about delivering a new media product."

To date, about 100 academic institutions are members of the New Media Centers consortium.