Studio Projects

Curious what's been happening in the TLT Studio?

RIT faculty have taken innovation to a new level in teaching and learning. Get a peek into how they've been using the high-tech, high-touch teaching space in the new TLT Studio.

College of Imaging Arts and Sciences

Art and Technology: From the Machine Aesthetic to the Cyborg Age, taught by Assistant Professor Chip Sheffield Jr., used the TLT Studio’s flexible seating design and multiple projection capability. PowerPoint presentations, films and websites were projected onto the multiple screens and students broke into small groups for collaborative brainstorming of texts and to respond to questions and images on the screens. This course explores the link between art and technology in the 20^th Century, with a special focus on its historical, theoretical and ideological implications. Having an innovative, technologically-rich environment such as the TLT Studio was conducive to exploring these topics.

Design Thinking and User Experience, taught by Xanthe Matychak, Coordinator of the Collaborative Innovation Program, RIT Honors Program, used several elements of the TLT Studio, including the multiple projection screens, tablet PCs and flexible room seating. In this project-based, studio-style class, students use design-thinking to discover and develop ideas for products and services. Specifically, students made a felt bracelet which was then manufactured online and built the supplementary materials needed for its production and marketing – a website, brochures, packaging, etc.  The room’s multiple projection screens were used to look at website examples of company identity and branding. Being able to bring up relevant examples of current practices allowed for a flexible teaching environment. Students rearranged their seating configurations to work collaboratively together. The class also creatively used the glass walls of the studio, putting sticky notes on them during brainstorming sessions.

College of Science

Frontiers of Science II, taught by Jake Noel-Storr, Associate Scientist in the Chester E. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, is a studio-style course that developed students’ science skills through technology-enabled creativity and innovation. Students learned about the latest science research on the RIT campus, collaborated with each other and participated in interactive lab experiences. In the course, students worked on Tablet PCs, using DyKnow to collaborate, and made use of three-panel Power Point presentations.

Human Gross Anatomy, taught by Professor Richard Doolittle, used the TLT Studio’s multiple projectors to show students anatomical detail from several perspectives so they can better understand the structural details of the human body. The class also used Tablet PCs and DyKnow collaborative software to mark-up PowerPoint presentations that were then made available for later review. Students also took turns labeling anatomy diagrams from their Tablet PCs.  

E. Philip Saunders College of Business

Internet Marketing, taught by Professor Neil Hair, is a dynamic course that uses a mixture of PowerPoint, web and Second Life demonstrations to illustrate how companies can best market themselves online. In the TLT Studio, both the instructor and students used the multi-screen projector. Students presented their website marketing recommendations to clients, showing best case examples, their ideas and the client’s current website across the three screens. Students also used the room’s Tablet PCs to respond to class questions through Twitter, which was projected on the screen, along with online poll results.  Overall, the TLT Studio allowed for a more interactive and engaging environment that demonstrated the nature of the Internet and its marketing capabilities.

Marketing Concepts, taught by Deborah Colton, assistant professor of marketing, used the TLT Studio’s  Tablet PCs for brainstorming and group activities, multiple projectors for class presentations and clickers for voting during different activities. Students worked in groups to develop presentations in class, applied concepts raised during discussion, and presented their recommendations to the class.

College of Liberal Arts

Logic, taught by Professor Jack Sanders, used the TLT Studio’s Tablet PCs to allow students to simultaneously work on logic problems during class time and explain their results. Multiple projection screens were used to share these solutions alongside relevant website resources. The course also used DyKnow and students could access notes outside of class.  In addition, the lecture portions of the class were recorded for use in developing an online Logic course offering.

New and Way New Journalism, taught by Professor Vince Golphin, teaches creative non-fiction with the end result of students creating a blog on a specific topic. As a practice in literary journalism and blogging, this course used the TLT studio's flexible workspace for group work. It also enhanced the instructor’s ability to share examples of digital journalism and student projects on multiple projection screens. Students used the room’s Tablet PCs to take notes and share work using DyKnow.