We got together with IE’s Projects Director of Multimedia Content Development to talk about the various case studies IE develops and their plans for the future.
What is your name and what is your role at IE?
My name is Martin Rodriguez and I am Projects Director in the Department of Multimedia Content Development – Associate deanship of learning Innovation. We are the people who develop all the interactive resources that are used in our Programs, both in face-to-face and online classes.
You can visit our catalogue at:Â www.ie.edu/multimedia
You have developed more than 250 multimedia materials, what, for you, have been the most interesting cases you have worked on?
Well, this a very complicated question to answer. Every multimedia material has its own charm… For me to say just one is very difficult.
However, I have to point out that the simulations are, from our perspective, the most complex ones but those that are the most gratifying as well; students learn a lot and really enjoy the experience. The feedback received from them clearly shows this and students ask for more of these resources.
How do professors integrate these materials into the classroom?
We follow the case study methodology. So, for case studies students normally prepare them before class. They have to read a paper version and then go to an online version where, for example, they may have to set a strategy, adopt a certain role, watch some interviews or complete exercises. After this, they go to class for a discussion session, guided by the professor.
Other examples are the simulations that are played in a network where students have to play all together in a computer lab.
In other cases, professors do the interactive exercise or run the simulation while in the classroom, so that every student can suggest their own ideas to the class and the exercise can be done as a whole.
Does IE have a philosophy behind the development of its own course material? What drives this commitment to developing course material in-house?
Yes, of course. The key point here is that we are developing content specifically for our classes and faculty. It means we are listening to our target needs. Every interactive resource we develop has an author who is part of our faculty, this way we are sure that all the content we develop is helpful.
IE is an innovative institution, we support this statement by developing innovative learning resources: in content, the way of delivery and through technology.
What are the latest developments you have been working on and are your plans for the future?
Every year we develop some 20 new projects, one of the latest ones is the following (for learning media planning):
http://openmultimedia.ie.edu/fichas/plan_de_medios_i.html
Or this to discuss Africa from a social and economic perspective:
http://openmultimedia.ie.edu/fichas/africa_i.html
We have new lines of development such as content for mobile devices, augmented reality, among others.
Again I encourage you to visit our multimedia catalogue www.ie.edu/multimedia and select your interest area (on the left hand side).
