Placement Process Video
Problem:
Without a qualifying ACT mathematics test score, students at the community college have to take a placement test before they are allowed to register for a math course. The math placement test process is complicated, so informational sessions run by a knowledgeable staff member are held on the main campus, with a PowerPoint presentation as visual aid. However, some students were requesting sessions at satellite locations, where there were no staff members able to explain the process. Consequently, I was asked to create a multimedia presentation that could be run for prospective math students on demand at these locations.
Tools used:
Pre-existing PowerPoint presentation slides with a script for each slide. I recorded the audio voiceover and edited it with Adobe Audition when necessary. I added animations, progressively revealing content to keep the audience’s attention and avoid visual overwhelm. I matched the colors in the presentation to the software screenshot colors for consistency. For the final production step, I used the iSpring PowerPoint plug-in to time the animation triggers to the audio and to export the content to a single video file (MP4 format.)
Outcome:
The presentation has been successfully used for several years to explain the placement process at four different satellite sites and even at the main campus when knowledgeable staff members are not available.
Follow-up:
Since the COVID-19 shutdown, the college has shifted most classes and work functions online. I adapted the presentation to reflect changes to the college website, uploaded the updated presentation to the college’s Yuja site, and added a closed-captioning track in VTT format, ready for use by staff as needed.
International Research Project Update
Problem:
An international coalition of interested parties were funding a research project and they periodically sent representatives to meetings to receive project management updates. These representatives were to report back to their respective companies or speak at public events about the project, but the endeavor was highly technical and so the team thought it would be advantageous to provide updates in a portable format that stakeholders could take with them and present on-demand. Because I was part of the process engineering and project management team, I was in the perfect position to give updates on the technical, budgeting, and scheduling aspects of the project.
Tools used:
Solidworks viewer, Microsoft Visio, Camstasia, Adobe Audition, Adobe PremierePro, Microsoft PowerPoint, iSpring PowerPoint plug-in, Microsoft Project, MS Excel.
Outcome:
Presentations were successfully used to update stakeholders and make presentations at conferences and posted to the internet.