DIY Media Recording Space Open for Faculty
The Office of Digital Learning (ODL) media production team has announced that the new media innovation lab is now open for use, with the goal of providing both online and face-to-face instructors with a user-friendly, do-it-yourself recording space.
Media Production Manager D.D. Garbarino said ODL found a successful model in the media studio at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where faculty are creating engaging content with the use of a 65” SMART Board for stand-up instruction and a Wacom tablet for seated instruction. At FSU, Garbarino and the media team have mimicked UCF’s setup but upgraded the Wacom to the 2025 SMART Board Mini.
“By equipping our media innovation lab with state-of-the-art technology, we are creating a pioneering space that enhances the quality of the video/audio content produced,” said Garbarino. “The upgrade also frees instructors to focus on delivering course content and connecting with students.”
SMART Technology
An instructor can stand in front of the SMART Board and present their course material (as seen in the banner image above). The SMART Board allows instructors to use microphones and cameras in tandem with PowerPoint presentations.
The SMART Board Mini, a smaller version of the SMART Board, gives instructors the flexibility to sit and demonstrate detailed formulas, emphasize key points on slides, and play back video in real time.
The SMART Board Mini setup lets instructors sit and demonstrate course content and play back video.
The lab also features professional lighting and microphone, 4K camera, and Stream Deck XL, which helps instructors maintain precise control over their workflow.
In addition to asynchronous and face-to-face courses, the lab benefits synchronous courses, giving instructors the ability to annotate, as well as have live conversations, by syncing their computers to the SMART Board. The lab will also be accessible to the FSU community during weather-related closures or other emergencies. For example, faculty can use the DIY setup to record make-up lectures when in-person classes are cancelled unexpectedly.
Garbarino points to research to underline the value of the video content that the lab facilitates.
A 2023 report in Panopto quoted academic technologists and university leaders as “overwhelmingly agreeing” that on-demand video improves student engagement and learning outcomes. Another article described 83% of young respondents preferring to learn through instructional or informational videos and 87% preferring a real person over an animated character or AI avatar.
Instructors interested in reserving time in the lab can contact Garbarino at dgarbarino@fsu.edu or (850) 644-7574. Filming blocks are available from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information on media services and additional video tools available to instructors, visit the Integrating Video webpage.
The media setup includes the SMART Board mini, professional lighting and microphone, 4K camera, and Stream Deck XL (closeup on the right), which helps instructors manage their workflow.
