Inside this Issue
Announcing the Rich Media Library
By Nancy Allee
Public Health Library & Informatics is pleased to announce the launching of the Rich Media Library. This resource library has been developed in support of the School of Public Health 's academic programs, including executive education programs and distance learning initiatives.
Rich media is defined as the design of innovative, engaging presentations using a combination of technologies, such as text, graphics, animation, video and sound, to communicate information.
The Rich Media Library features a web-searchable interface to learning modules, currently from 14 courses, in the departments of Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Behavior/Health Education, and Health Management & Policy. The learning modules are searchable by keyword, department, instructor, course name and number, and topic.
The modules are about 20 minutes in length each and cover a wide range of topics from access to health care to variable rate debt. Other topics are decision analysis, exposure assessment, HIPAA, intervention studies, modeling, queuing theory, and surveillance.
The development of the Rich Media Library is ongoing, and the resources available will continue to expand as additional courses are recorded in digital format.
Faculty whose courses are represented include Stuart Batterman, Mike Chernew, Richard Hirth, Peter Jacobson, David Johnson, Myra Kim, Richard Lichtenstein, David Mendez, Tom Robins, Dean Smith, Amanda Sonnega, Jack Wheeler, and Leon Wyszewianski.
The Rich Media Library began as the brainchild of faculty member David Mendez. Mendez received a Computerworld Honors Program award in 2002 for his problem-based learning model, utilizing rich media and e-learning technologies.
Using this framework, students are not subjected to old-style distance learning involving repetition of class lectures but instead are presented with opportunities for applying concepts learned in class to foster development of an array of problem-solving skills. In 2003 Mendez received funding from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching to help create the Rich Media Library for storing the learning modules and enabling students to search for specific topics and problems.
With the increase of video modules captured in the Rich Media Library, students have access to an expanded curriculum of learning resources and can cross link concepts from one class to others. The web-accessibility of these resources for executive education students in the department of Health Management & Policy has allowed the number of times students attend classes on campus to be reduced in half. The plan is to extend this approach to other executive education programs in the School.
The Rich Media Library is an SPH-accessible resource, available to affiliated users. UM login and password are required. Questions about the Rich Media Library can be sent via email to sph.informatics@umich.edu.
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