When Bradford McGuinn walked out of UOnline's new multimedia studio for the first time, he had a list of fresh ideas for the courses he teaches as director of the online Master of Arts in International Administration program.
One of the first faculty members to tour the studio, located in Allen Hall on the Coral Gables campus, McGuinn shared that the experience left him thinking differently about what's possible in an online course.
"Seeing the way in which it is designed, with the control room, the recording studio, and all the attention to detail, I walked away thinking this is another dimension altogether, a very powerful one," said McGuinn, a senior lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences.
UOnline unveiled the new studio in a grand opening celebration for faculty and staff members. Built to support the creation of cutting-edge digital learning content, the multimedia studio includes two fully equipped video recording studios, a dedicated control room, a voiceover recording booth, green screen capabilities, and professional lighting, audio, and camera equipment.
Joel H. Samuels, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, who attended the ribbon cutting, remarked that "faculty are at the heart of academic innovation. This multimedia suite will give them the tools to produce high-quality course content for both online and in-person courses that meets the expectations of today's students and elevates the standards of teaching across our institution."
The space is designed to handle everything from lecture-style recordings to interviews and demonstrations. UOnline's multimedia and instructional design teams support faculty throughout the production process, from concept to finished content.
"These studios reflect our commitment to creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for our students," said Morgyn Joubert, director of multimedia production. "Our goal is simple. We want to support our instructors in bringing their ideas to life in a way that feels clear, engaging, and impactful."
Rey Sanchez, associate dean for strategic initiatives and innovation at the Frost School of Music, called the space "functional, flexible, and future-proof."
"There's a lot of room for growth," said Sanchez, who also serves as interim associate provost for online learning. "I'm excited that we as an institution prioritized having a dedicated space where we can get very creative with online learning and support our faculty and students with some amazing things."
Having a dedicated production space is an important step forward for the University's 20+ online programs, said Matthew Acevedo, assistant provost for educational strategy.
"We are transitioning from borrowed space to what is really a world-class facility," he said. "This will set a new standard for how the University supports faculty and students in online learning."
Joubert said her team has brainstormed possibilities like podcasts, faculty and guest interviews, livestreamed Zoom sessions with students, and other interactive online learning experiences.
"Studio 2 also includes a light board setup that we're excited to incorporate more into future content, especially for subjects that benefit from diagrams, annotations, equations, and visual walk-throughs," she added.
McGuinn, who has been developing a summer course with UOnline, said the investment signals something important about where the University is headed.
"Having that kind of technological sophistication in a medium that is as rapidly evolving as online learning is significant," he said. "That the University is willing to make the investment—in the infrastructure and the people—I appreciate that very much."
Even more important than the technology, McGuinn said, are the UOnline staff who work with faculty to build their online courses.
"The most important feature for me from day one has been the course designers I've worked with," he explained. "They have been central—pivotal—to the success of the courses. I can't imagine thinking about an online course without them."
Faculty who are interested in touring the UOnline multimedia studio may contact director of multimedia production Morgyn Joubert at mmj122@miami.edu.
