Formerly called the Media Cage, the Centre is expanding its offerings to students, staff, and instructors alike
If you need professional equipment or assistance booking a workspace such as a studio or presentation room, look no further than the Technology Resource Centre (formerly known as the Media Cage), located at GH320.
Staff, instructors, and students of all programs at the University of Guelph-Humber are welcome to visit the Tech Centre to explore its resources and tap into the expertise of the media technologies specialists.
“The Technology Resource Centre and by association, the media technologists, are here to assist the whole institution in researching, integrating, and delivering the right tech to the students, regardless of the type of tech or their tech literacy within their program,” Media Technologies Specialist Michael Samartzis said. “We want the right tools in the hands of the students, doing our part in assisting the students, staff, and instructors at the University of Guelph-Humber in their learning journeys.”
Over time, the scope of the Tech Centre grew from merely offering cameras and other production gear, to providing items like laptops, extended reality (XR) technology, production spaces, huddle rooms with collaborative meeting tech, and more – reflected by the space’s new name. Radek Pacanowski, Manager of Academic & Campus Technology Services (ACTS), said the Technology Resource Centre’s new name conveys what people will find there: tools, spaces, and supports that enable learning, content creation, and innovation.
“It signals that you don’t need to be an expert to walk in. We are here to help, whether or not you have worked with this type of technology before,” he explained. “It’s a name that better fits where we are now and where we are going.”
And as the Tech Centre evolves, new services are being developed, like the creation of the Technology Resource Centre’s YouTube channel.
Here, people will be able to find tutorials on how to use equipment. While staff are always eager to assist, having additional learning materials (especially once they’ve left the Tech Centre) helps users maximize potential with the gear because technology can be complex, especially if you’re using it for the first time.
Samartzis emphasized that the Technology Resource Centre has something for everyone in the Guelph-Humber community. For example, if an instructor with multiple course sections wants to enhance students’ learning experience by bringing in a guest speaker, they can record them through a livestream or tools the media technologies specialists provide.
From a student perspective, Samartzis said having access to the media technologies specialists, like himself or Ari Sooriyamoorthy, is useful. With their expertise, they can also support students with filming, photographing, or recording content, as well as aiding students in scaling their ideas to meet their abilities, he added.
“Running the Tech Centre and working with our amazing crew of work-study students is an incredibly rewarding experience. I get to watch our team level up into professionals, while accidentally making lifelong friends. The Tech Centre is your first step into the world of technology. Need a camera to snap pics of your cat? We got that. Want a private space for exam prep or to edit your latest viral masterpiece? No judgments here. It’s the hotspot for every campus tidbit, and one of the most important campus-wide services at Guelph-Humber,” Sooriyamoorthy said.
The media technologies specialists stay up to date on industry trends and partake in professional development, so they remain on the forefront of change. Earlier this year, for instance, Samartzis attended a conference at South by Southwest exploring the application of XR and haptic technology for storytelling, learning how quantum computing can be integrated into our daily lives, as well as how technology risk can be managed and mitigated. He’s also presented at conference sessions with groups at Guelph-Humber and Humber Polytechnic about artificial intelligence, giving him “an opportunity to prepare our community for the changes that are on the bleeding edge of tech and integrate them into our services at the Technology Resource Centre.”
Plug in, power up, and learn more about the Technology Resource Centre here.
