CyberPort Austin

Multi Media Mania

If you've been to any recent national computer meetings you may have noticed a subtle change in the way Austin is described, particularly about multimedia. The eyes of the world are turning toward our town.

For some time now, people across the country have been remarking how the city is "really starting to become a multimedia computing center." But recently the tone has changed. No longer is there an air of news or novelty about Austin's multimedia eminence; what I hear these days is more the implicit acknowledgement that Central Texas is now firmly established at the leading edge of multimedia development.

One significant factor in this remarkable growth has been the people who make up the nonprofit Austin Area Multimedia Alliance. AAMA is a respected meta-organization, actually a "club of clubs" which serves as an active umbrella organization for local individuals and groups in multimedia computing disciplines. Member organizations and contacts include:

In case anyone is not familiar with AAMA, they are a respected nonprofit alliance serving the local multimedia community. The group is dedicated to providing resources to help develop the multimedia community around Austin and promoting this area as a multimedia leader throughout the country.

Now the AAMA leadership wants the help of the local computing community, especially those who are involved with multimedia. They ask for your input in the Needs Assessment Survey. Your responses will enable them to determine what programs and services multimedia people actually want and need.

Completed survey forms should be sent to: aama@gomedia.com. [If you want your response to be included in the first published results, please fill out and send the form by January 22, 1996.]

For more general information about AAMA - http://www.eden.com/~aama/

Although support continues to grow for Austin multimedia computing from businesses and groups like IICS and AAMA, there has been one recent disappointment. Surprisingly, this bad news came from our own Austin Community College (ACC).

Working in conjunction with the local chapter of the International Interactive Communications Society (IICS), Austin Community College scheduled three multimedia educational seminars for the current semester.

Designed for people interested in the realities (both theory and application) of the multimedia computing profession, the seminars advertised were:

"The Internet: A Multimedia Perspective"
"Design for Multimedia"
"The Business of Multimedia"

Sounds pretty good, right? So much so that a number of interested students signed up and paid their money to take these classes.

Alas, sad news, folks. If you are one of these students, don't bother packing your pencil box... because it isn't going to happen.

Naturally ACC was excited about the prospect of these courses. Not only had the school arranged with IICS for experienced professionals to serve as instructors, they also looked forward to conducting class meetings in a first quality location - a fully equipped multimedia training facility to be provided by a major local computer company.

But December brought bad news. Even though classes were planned and students had begun enrolling, it turned out the eagerly anticipated class facility was not available. Apparently the room reservation was never formally confirmed by ACC, resulting in the space no longer being available. The school described the foulup simply:

"it was a miscommunication. ACC accepts full responsibility"

Faced with this unfortunate situation, Katherine Staples, who heads the Technical Communications Department sponsoring these multimedia classes, decided to cancel the series of multimedia seminars for this semester.

She explained they had no real alternative:

"Obviously we can't expect the seminar speakers to haul in their own equipment and ACC doesn't have the equipment meeded inhouse. So if we can't do these courses right, we won't do them at all."

Acting upon this decision, the school declined any further applicants. (Unlike academic credit classes, admission to ACC's short non-credit courses is open almost until the class meets.) They are sending full refunds and individual letters to all who enrolled in the cancelled courses.

If you are one of these registered students, the ACC tuition refund is supposed to come automatically. (Don't bother calling IICS - they have nothing to do with the registration process and are wholly surprised by this cancellation.)

The reasons given for this abrupt and regrettable decision? IICS Multimedia Curriculum Coordinator Joel Greenberg explained to instructors and other group members that ACC seemed "unable to provide the needed equipment, a room, and in the case of the Internet class, a telephone line."

One thing ACC is NOT guilty of is lack of concern. Staples was clearly distressed and regretful over the cancellation. She asked me to tell readers, "We apologize for this. Everyone really feels bad that poor coordination has eliminated these valuable classes."

Yet all is not hopeless. Staples explains that ACC is not only going to re-offer the multimedia seminars during the summer semester, but also wants to add at least one appealing new course for the fall.

[It's too early to officially announce this new Fall `96 technical seminar subject but here's a three letter hint: " W W W ". And ACC reminds they still have room in a March 2nd seminar to be given in conjunction with the Society of Technical Communicators.

Bottom Line? This seminar snafu has understandably upset a few folks, causing some to wonder if ACC is currently able to provide the tools required for teaching multimedia. But growing pains notwithstanding, this college is becoming a important source for multimedia technology (and other professional) education.

The simple fact is that overall, Austin Community College is a real success story, with a fine record of bringing academic and vocational education to Central Texans. But they are also struggling with the stresses arising from this amazing success.

Booming enrollment and expanding course offerings are outstripping even the most agressive ACC expansion programs; there are not enough technical resources and classrooms to meet the constantly swelling student demand. So many ACC classes must compete for a small number of often obsolete tools for educational technology.

In order to offer more of their popular technology courses, ACC is seeking industry partners to share facilities and develop joint educational programs. These collaborations could help relieve overcrowding, providing temporary solutions until the college can develop more of its own resources... another opportunity for the Austin technology community to work together.

To obtain more information about these and future ACC/IICS multimedia seminars (or offer suggestions for ACC courses):

Joel Greenberg
IICS Multimedia Curriculum Coordinator
(512) 371-9468
joelg@bga.com

Katherine Staples, Chairman
ACC Technical Communication Department
(512) 223-4831
David McMurrey, davidm@austin.cc.tx.us

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Journalist Gene Crick writes and edits for numerous publications and is president of MAIN (Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network), perhaps the largest community service infomration project on the Internet. Your comments and suggestions are invited to: gcrick@awpi.com

(c) 1996 - copyright Gene Crick, published in Austin Axis.