Media Studies professor Doug Stetar and Media Research Lab (MRL) research assistants Denisa Krausova, Katelyn Neily, Felix Naud, and Brent Pretty have started a new project creating video archives of public views on education.
MRL assistants set up a shooting session Mar. 15, in bldg. 345, rm. 108. Students and staff on campus stopped by and talked in front of the video camera for three minutes, sharing their answer to the question: “What do you believe education is?”
The team plans to have more filming sessions throughout the semester and next year, and they hope the project will be carried on by other MRL students after they graduate. The goal is to make an ongoing archive accessible online for educational research purposes.
“It would be great if this project could carry on for as long as possible,” Krausova says, “Even documented for the next 20 or 30 years, because then you will be able to see the evolution in how people’s views on education have changed within that time frame.”
Krausova says that different answers to this question will not only help define what education is to students, but also what education could be. Krausova says that every time she listens to someone it shapes her original opinion on education—as some people will share how enlightened they were by their schooling, while other share their frustration about student debt.
Carrie-Anne Wagner participated in the video survey. Wagner, a Digital Media Studies Major, shared her view on education:
“What my education has been to me is experience, gaining knowledge, and understanding about what more you can do and planning your future. What job opportunities and career choices you want to make yours. The experience itself in school isn’t all about the books. It lets you put a hands on experience into it. It also gives me a good look at [myself], who I am, my job skills, talents, and abilities, to see what I’m capable of. It’s an opportunity to believe in myself, what I want to do, and how I plan on doing it for another 20, or 40 years.”
Naud says it’s good to be part of something bigger and it will be exciting to see how people view education differently in the future. The MRL research assistants encourage people on campus to take five minutes out of their day and participate in the project, as they will have the chance to share their opinions and contribute to something meaningful.
Krausova says the team of MRL assistants are also gaining great experience from the project, as they are in charge of setting up the lights and cameras for the shoots.
The next filming session will take place on Wed, Apr. 17 in bldg. 345, rm. 108 between 1–4 p.m.