A hallmark of adopting new technology is to push yourself to use it in your own projects—”dogfooding it.” This summer, Prof. Caroline Nelson has been leading three of our lab’s college assistants in using the new equipment to produce the first in a series of video walkthroughs of the core “skills tests” we use with students. These tests prepare them before taking out the standard single-camera shooting package for classes and club activities.

With our studio manager Fawwaz out of the country for most of the month, it’s been great to see Tyler, Di’Avionne (pictured here with Caroline), and DJ work together to plan and use the new studio setups with minimal input from us. It’s been rewarding to see them challenge themselves and navigate the process.

Caroline and I have been discussing the importance of embracing the iterative process, especially as we begin reviewing the Communication Technology major and creating a redesign plan. We want to instill the value of iteration in our program, as it’s crucial for student success. It’s not just about giving students more chances to improve their skills but also about building the habit of working and reworking a project, which can sometimes be demanding.

We hope to incorporate this philosophy across the major and in our courses. It’s going to be a journey, but we’re beginning to envision a future that will bring our students and the program to a better and healthier place.