IDEAS Group Launches Instructional Video Creators Network

The Instructional Design, Engagement, and Support (IDEAS) Media Production Team at UMass Amherst has launched the Instructional Video Creative Network (IVCN) to support UMass Amherst faculty, staff and graduate students with an interest in video production skills.

The IVCN provides a semester-long community of practice to learn new video creation techniques with a focus on peer-to-peer collaboration, accessibility best practices and adapting curriculum to students. In addition to bi-weekly collaborative meetings with members of the IVCN, there are multiple workshops offered throughout the semester to help instructors enhance their video production skills, including accessibility best practices for clear engaging videos.

"​​What starts as an idea becomes a script, the script then becomes a video, and that video is shared with others to view," explains Colby Frank, manager of media production and instructional technology. "This is the same concept we apply for our students. It's a win-win for everyone and why I love what I do."

"I've learned that in order to pass complex ideas between people, you first need to make sure they can hear you or see what you're depicting," says Koby Leff, animation specialist with the IDEAS Media Production Team. "Accessibility has become the foundation of everything I create; I can only start to answer content questions once I nail accessibility. I think the whole of IDEAS deeply shares this mindset, and it's been a fantastic space to strengthen the accessibility practices I use in filmmaking."

"Accessibility has always been a part of my production process," Frank agrees. "From assisted listening devices and CCTV at live sporting events and concerts, to captioned/transcribed, accessibly produced online courses and college graduations, finding ways to incorporate this tech into our learning process is incredibly exciting."

More information about the Instructional Video Creators Network and workshops can be found on the IDEAS website.