WHEN WE WERE NORMAL
A Historical Augmented Reality Walking Tour
The Communications/Media Center
Fitchburg State College wanted a center that could be used as Learning Resources Center, Fine and Industrial Arts Center, and a Teacher Education Center, that is able to have the communications facilities also within the center as well. Fitchburg was including technological change throughout the campus but with this particular major and the concentration, they needed a little more technology in the school.
Instructional Media: The Beginning of Communications Media
LOCATION: Forthcoming
Instructional Media was the name of the Communications Media department when the idea was first enclosed in a proposal. Fitchburg State College had wanted to expand its horizons as media and technology had progressed and the evolution of various forms of technology was beginning to form. The college wanted to develop fields in the professional area where communications services could be used. From the Industrial Media proposal, these were the original concentrations/systems that were proposed.
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Communication Delivery Systems
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Media Design
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Media Instruction
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Media Production
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Communication Management
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Information Development
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Communication Evaluation Analyst
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Computer-Assisted Instruction/Computer Managed Instruction
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Theatre
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Technical Writing
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Audio Broadcasting
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Journalism
The Program
Over the last 15-20 years, there have been developments in a Communications/Media related field for college students to gain some professional experience. The goal is to keep up with the upcoming trends with communication delivery and how communication is building in our society as a whole. There was a proposal to introduce a Bachelor of Science program in a Communications/Media related field at Fitchburg State College. It was proposed based on the way employment markets were working and how some markets were more focused on the art and design aspects.
Courses and The Evolution of Communications Media
Over the years, the Instructional Media Department started to evolve and change. More media was coming into play, technology was becoming a new factor towards all of our lives, which meant that there needed to be some new classes proposed in order for us to understand these pieces of technology correctly. Over the years between when the major was announced, to today, many new classes were proposed and approved by Fitchburg State College, such as:
- Speech Writing
- Technology of Communication
- Advanced Electronic Graphic Design
- Contemporary Cinema
- Introduction to Water Based Media Techniques
- Intermediate Documentary Production
- Mixed Technique
- Crime on Television
During this process, they had proposed and approved various other plans, such as an Art Minor with the Communications Media Department and Requiring a Seminar in Communication to be mandatory to complete before graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree.
A New Concentration Created
In 2002, Professor Jeff Warmouth of the Communications Media Department proposed a new concentration in the department called “Interactive Media.” This concentration was set to teach students to design and create interactive media when it comes towards the web and DVD production. This was also known as one of the fastest growing areas of communication back during this time. So, in order to keep up with the new Interactive Media Technology that has taken over our society, we needed a new concentration. This concentration helped build new opportunities at both a professional and historical level.