Support Materials for the: MTSU Outstanding Achievement in Instructional Technology Award

Over the summer semester 2002, I designed and developed the first online course for the RIM department. I received training on the use of WebCT and worked with Cindy Womack of the Distance Learning Program to work out the details for implementation in the fall semester of 2002.

I purchased the domain name InsideTheRecordingIndustry.com and set up domain forwarding to a promotional page that introduces prospects to the concepts of the course. Included in the site is information on enrolling in the course and links to the distance learning POD forms.

The multimedia sessions were developed by Inside Sessions, a branch of Universal Music Group, the world's largest record label. To supplement the videoclips of industry insiders and stars, I worked with Inside Sessions to select online articles for students to read. These articles are accessible while viewing the online video clips or through the course WebCT site. In addition to these sources, I reviewed several industry textbooks and selected one to supplement the online materials.

Text from the website http://www.insidetherecordingindustry.com/:

“This course is designed for MTSU students interested in the recording industry. The course explores many aspects of the music business, including careers in the industry, key terms of a record deal, the secrets to breaking a new band, and MUCH more. The course materials include Brian McPherson's book Get It In Writing and InsideSessions' multimedia program which features 75 music industry insiders, ranging from Elton John to Sting to Russell Simmons.

”The multimedia program From Demo to Deal covers nearly every aspect of the recording industry.

· How to get your foot in the door and get your first job.

· How to start a buzz.

· What to expect in the recording studio.

· How artists get signed to a major record label.

· The terms of a recording deal.

· Who does what at a record company—and where you could fit in.

“Students will participate in online chats with music industry executives and interact with other students and the professor through the course website. The online course is self-paced with four open-book quizzes and one proctored final exam. The course is open to all majors as a general elective. RIM students will receive credit toward the major.

“About Inside the Recording Industry: From Demo to Deal”

“This course is designed to use the multimedia program From Demo to Deal from InsideSessions and the book Get It In Writing, by Brian McPherson. Please purchase these materials from InsideSessions. You will also have the opportunity to purchase these materials once you have registered for the course. Once you purchase your materials, InsideSessions will send you an activation code and instructions that will allow you to access the multimedia program.

”After registering for the course, you will have access to the course material on WebCT. You will take quizzes, receive updated course instructions and communicate with the instructor and other students through WebCT.

“This is a self-paced course and is divided into four modules. For each module, complete the readings and view the sessions using the InsideSessions CD-ROM and website. At the end of each module, you will take an open-book online quiz. After you have completed all four Modules, you will be ready to take the proctored final exam.

”You may print out your quizzes and results to use as a study guide for the final exam. The final exam must be administered at a proctored testing center. A proctored final exam will be scheduled on the MTSU campus; details will be available on WebCT. You may set up arrangements for other testing centers through the MTSU testing service and Distance Learning office. (Further instructions on this service will be available on WebCT). The Testing center will receive a password for the test and you will then take the test at a computer.

B. Creation of Teacher's guide, used by numerous colleges.

In cooperation with Inside Sessions, I have developed a teacher's guide (complete with online exams formatted on Respondus) for the online course I designed. The guide helps other schools create the course in the manner that I have designed. (A copy of the teacher's guide is included in the support materials.)

The teacher's guide with accompanying exams is in use or being considered by the following institutions of higher education:

C. CEU course: IRI becomes the first online course in MTSU's Continuing Education- Lifelong Learning Program.

I worked with the Continuing Education office and Molly Culbreath during the fall semester to create a continuing education version of the same class. Molly and I worked on promotion for the course. Both Music Row magazine and The Nashville Scene had advertisements and articles about the class. While we only have 10 students registered for this semester, there was a lot of interest generated for taking it during the summer semester. We also plan to promote this course to high school music teachers who are required to receive continuing education credits. Most of those are accomplished during the summer and we plan to promote to them nationally, since this course has no geographic limitations. The ten students we currently have are from as far away as Florida and Arizona.

II. RIM 4630 - Record Industry Research

This is a project-oriented course where we perform focus group research for one of the record labels in Nashville. In 1998, we conducted focus groups on the Dixie Chicks for Sony Music, in 2000 we conducted focus groups for MCA Records and in 2001 and 2002 we conducted focus groups for RCA Records. The students had the opportunity to use PowerPoint, with accompanying video and audio clips, for a presentation to the record labels.

The class is held in a computer classroom and uses a wide variety of technologies, including audio and video recording and editing equipment, multimedia presentation technology and CourseInfo for file management. For the actual focus groups, we audiotape and videotape the sessions. The students, using ProTools audio editing software, then edit these digital tapes. (ProTools is a software program allowing for digital editing of audio tracks. Students in this class used the program to quickly divide and edit the focus group dialogue for easier transcription.) The audio is transferred to CDs for use in the computers. The class then transcribes the sessions.

Over the past 2 years we have actively used CourseInfo to store and transfer files among the students who are working in groups on different parts of the project. One student who was quite proficient at developing our PowerPoint multimedia presentations was hired by RCA at the conclusion of the presentation that she led.

III. RIM 4800 - Understanding the Nashville Music Business

The Nashville Music Business class is a correspondence course. Over the past two years, I have converted many of the assignments to CourseInfo and now to WebCT. Students take the computer-generated exam at a testing center. They are allowed to turn in papers and reports via the digital drop box. All forms and documents are available on the website as PDF files.

IV. RIM 4820 - Record Label Operations

This class is a hybrid in-class/internship course. Students receive training in the latest recording industry software, including StarTracker [1] , ArtistPro [2] and Bacon’s MediaBase [3] . The students are required to do class projects using this software and the Internet (online databases and MapQuest). They develop a schedule for “tour support.” As part of their marketing strategy, record labels support their artists on tour by targeting local media for interviews, guest appearances on radio and local television, and autograph signing sessions at retail record stores. As a class assignment, students must locate the appropriate local performance venue, all appropriate local media and retail stores, and set up itineraries for the artist in each of the cities where a concert is scheduled.

A. Internet marketing training and implementation.

For the “internship” portion of the class, students are taught to conduct Internet marketing and then apply these skills while interning at record labels around Nashville. In the past several years, students in this course have conducted successful Internet marketing campaigns for MCA Nashville, RCA Label Group, Compass Records, Provident Christian Music Group, Virgin Records, Capitol Records, Mercury Records, and EMI Christian Music Group. The campaigns include: finding marketing opportunities, special interest groups, posting messages, chatting with music fans, providing promotional materials for unofficial web sites, creating unofficial web sites, writing music reviews, handling banner exchange and link exchange programs, searching out potential markets, and following the competition. The students usually spend 8 hours per week online conducting these and other Internet marketing functions. This class is offered one semester per year and trains 18 students. Each semester, the companies with which they work hire several students from the class.

B. Taught students to use SPSS, Excel for creating reports to CMA, RCA.

Each semester I teach several of the students how to use SPSS and create graphs in Excel. We complete projects for RCA Records and the Country Music Association where we enter survey data into Excel, run the appropriate statistics in SPSS and then create a report and presentation using Excel and PowerPoint.

V. All other classes - CourseInfo, WebCT; assignments (VALS), helpful links, lectures on PowerPoint online

CourseInfo and WebCT are used in all my courses. I present all my lectures online, keep the students updated with announcements and provide external links to pertinent information in the music business. Students in RIM 4620 (Marketing of Recordings) are required to use Lexis/Nexis to conduct research for their term paper. I offer in-class instruction on the use of the program and Boolean logic. As a class assignment, students must follow a link to Values and Lifestyles (VALS) website where they take an online survey to learn how markets are segmented using personality and demographic variables.

In RIM 3890 (International Recording Industry) students have a project where they are required to find two international or foreign record labels and analyze their websites. They critique the sites on ease of use, availability to sample product online and ease of online purchasing. They then demonstrate their findings to the class.

VI. Website for students attending the NARM convention.

Each year, our program takes up to 25 students to the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) annual convention. I am the coordinator and supervisor. I am also the committee chair for the National Educators Outreach Committee. I have developed a website for use by the students from all participating schools. The purpose of the site is to answer questions about travel arrangements and preparations for the convention. The site includes newsletters, application, schedules, maps, and instructions. I have also provided a message board for students to communicate with each other. (http://www.mtsu.edu/~thutchis/narm.htm). This website serves students from MTSU, Belmont, University of Miami, Berklee School of Music and others.

VII. RIM 4000 - Internship database: created concept, took over this year- upgraded; included new job bank.

In 2000 I developed a concept for putting our internship program on the web. Some of the problems we had been facing with the program had to do with our interface, or lack of interface, with the business community. One problem was that the companies who needed interns were often unable to easily modify their requests or update our internship database. Another problem: the database was printed out and kept in the reserves section of the library. It was only updated when time permitted. When I realized that the Internet could solve our problems, I approached colleague Amy Macy and requested that she take over the internships, apply for a technology grant, and move the internship program online. I helped her write the grant, which she received in 2001.

I took over the internship program in fall 2002. I noticed that there were still some complications that could be overcome by upgrading our systems. (1) Companies were able to fill out an application online, but this form then had to be re-entered into the database manually; (2) students are often worried that their forms and timesheets have not been received by the internship supervisor, thus jeopardizing their grade. With the help of Brenda Kerr on the database, I have accomplished the following changes to our internship website:

1. Converted the database from MySQL to Microsoft Access. The data has been transferred and set up online using Access. The new system allows companies to fill out an application requesting an intern. This application is then routed directly to the database, after a review by the coordinator.

2. Creation of a WebCT site for students to access and determine if their paperwork related to their internship has been received.

3. Creation of a job bank. Now companies seeking new employees can fill out a form online, at the internship website, and have their request posted (http://rim.mtsu.edu/Job%20bank/job_bank.htm).

4. Job openings are posted for our students and recent graduate to view (http://rim.mtsu.edu/new_page_1.htm).

5. Students or recent graduates looking for work can fill out a form online requesting a posting (http://rim.mtsu.edu/Job%20bank/jobapplication.htm).

6. Companies looking for new employees can view the job seekers page and look for prospective applicants (http://rim.mtsu.edu/seekingjob.htm).

7. Creation of a message board for students and companies to interact directly (http://rim.mtsu.edu/message_board/Default.htm).

The revised internship websites will be turned back over the Amy Macy, the intern coordinator, at the end of the spring semester.

VIII. Set up music business computer center w/ two computer workstations and music business software

Through the TAF funds, I received funding for two computer stations dedicated for music business students. I set up the stations three years ago in our computer lab. I was able to find some discarded computer tables, and set up these workstations with software specific to our industry (listed below). I researched software available in the industry and determined that the programs listed below were the most popular in the industry: StarTracker, Bacon's Mediabase, Sound Solutions, Nimmer's Copyright Database, and Right Track solutions. I have either trained other faculty or provided training materials for them. I maintain the two computers, find sources for maintaining current editions, and am responsible for installing software updates. Descriptions of the software and their applications are as follows:

A. StarTracker

StarTracker is a relational database for the recording industry. It contains contact information for record labels, music publishers, managers, agents, concert venues, clubs, media, record stores, churches, and other industry-related fields. The software was purchased using TAF funds. Students in RIM 4620 - Marketing of Recordings, and RIM 4820 - Record Label Operations use the software for class projects. In RIM 4620, groups are assigned the task of creating a marketing plan for a record release. They must then determine where to target their marketing, advertising, and promotion efforts and use the software to make those determinations. Student who are about to graduate also use the program for creating contacts for potential jobs.

B. Bacon's MediaBase

Bacon's MediaBase software is a CD-ROM program database that allows the student to build a media list, including all pertinent contact information, for each media outlet. The software is used in three classes, RIM 4620 - Marketing of Recordings, RIM 3770 - Publicity in the Recording Industry, and RIM 4820 - Record Label Operations. I have created an online tutorial (http://www.mtsu.edu/~thutchis/bacons.htm) and made it available to students in all of these classes. I have trained the instructors for these classes and visited their classrooms to train the students.

C. Sound Solutions (A&R)

This software is mainly for scheduling and budgeting. It is used by the Artist and Repertoire departments at record labels to determine and monitor production budgets. I procured this software after contacting the company and convincing them it would be in their best interest to provide the software to our program at no cost. I then installed the software on our workstations.

D. Nimmer's Legal Software

Nimmer’s offers an electronic CD-ROM database of copyright legal cases. While I don't directly train faculty on the use of the software, I was responsible for securing the funding to obtain the program. It is available for our faculty members to use and demonstrate to the students.

E. Right Track publishing accounting software

Right Track is accounting software for music publishers and record labels to help track royalty income and payments made to performers and songwriters and their respective publishers. I made arrangements through the company to receive the software at no charge. For several years they did charge a support fee, which I arranged to have paid either through TAF funds or from the department budget. Now I have convinced them to waive this fee since we do not use the program for commercial purposes.

PART II - Addressing requirements of the review committee

I. Instructional materials development

A. Describe the technology-based teaching materials that you use.

i) I use web-linked PowerPoint for all classroom lectures.

ii) All my classes are on WebCT, with lectures available online and links to pertinent sites.

iii) I maintain additional websites for the NARM convention, the internship program, the job bank, and to promote the online/CEU course Inside the Recording Industry.

iv) The course “Inside The Recording Industry” is an online course and was the first online course in the CEU program.

v) I maintain the two computer workstations in the Mass Comm computer lab and keep all music industry software updated and available to students.

B. Describe the procurement/development process.

i) TAF funds purchased the two workstations and much of the music business software.

ii) Received departmental funding for some software.

iii) Have received some software as a donation from the manufacturers.

C. Describe the hardware and software you utilize in the development phase.

i) Have received training from ITD on CourseInfo, WebCT, Respondus.

ii) I use Pagemaker, Front Page, Powerpoint, Publisher, Respondus and write some HTML language when necessary.

iii) Use MySQL and Microsoft Access to create the internship database.

II. Classroom/curriculum integration

A. Describe how the materials are used in your courses.

i) Lecture classes – Except for the textbooks, all class materials are accessed from the class website (now WebCT): lectures, links, assignments, due dates, syllabus, and external links to industry websites. Also for RIM 4820 and RIM 4630, projects are developed and coordinated using the class websites.

ii) Distance learning classes - The online class (RIM 4810) and correspondence class (RIM 4800) rely on the website for student guidance, all course-related content and information, and to take exams.

B. Describe how the materials are used by your students outside of your classroom.

i) Lecture classes - Students have access to their grades, all assignments, links to complete assignments, instructions for using software on the workstations.

ii) Distance learning classes - For all aspects of the course including reading course materials and taking exams. For Inside the Recording Industry, the course materials include CD-ROM digital video information clips, links to articles, e-scavenger hunts to foster use of the Internet for research, and online chats with industry professionals.

iii) I encourage all my students to use email to communicate with me, and the message boards to communicate with each other.

C. Describe the hardware and software used in the classroom.

i) I use Powerpoint, the Internet, WebCT, MP3 files, streaming audio, digital graphics, and music-related software programs.

ii) I teach only in multimedia classrooms and computer labs.

III. Materials evaluation

A. Describe your technology-based materials evaluation process.

i) I use Respondus for quizzes, exams, online scavenger hunts, and surveys.

ii) I monitor student use of the websites and course material through the “tracking students” feature. Students also email with various questions. I use those to improve clarity of course instructions and expectations.

iii) Students email their evaluations of the course.

iv) Results from exams are ported back to Respondus where I perform a validity analysis of each test question.

B. Outline your evaluation results.

i) For the online course, several test questions were reworded in the online course as a result of analysis of the test results. Student comments have caused Inside Sessions to revise their security measures for accessing the site.

ii) On student evaluations, my ratings for “instructor presents materials clearly” are always above departmental average.

iii) My classes usually fill within the first couple days of registration. That to me is an indication that I am providing students with a quality learning environment.

C. Describe how your evaluation results are used.

This is a dynamic process. When students email me with a question about course material or how to access something on the course websites, I use those questions to improve clarity, redesign the course or the website, and to re-write instructions. I update all of my course websites a minimum of once per week.

IV. Mentoring and publication

A. Illustrate how you share your instructional materials and knowledge with your colleagues.

i) I teach colleagues to use the computer software and provide the updated versions for them.

ii) I visit my colleagues' classes and provide software instructions to their students.

iii) I maintain the two workstations for all classes in the department (music business).

B. Describe any publication, conference participation, or educational training related to instructional technology.

i) Educational training: I attended classes in CourseInfo, WebCT and Respondus. I have met with Brenda Kerr and Barbara Draude on many occasions to receive further training. My master’s degree is in Marketing Communication and Informational Technology. I studied and researched educational technology throughout that program.

ii) I directed the following master's thesis:

2001 Passive Telecourse versus Traditional Students: An Exploratory Study of Innovated and Demographic Characteristics Among Columbia State Community College Students. Master,s thesis, Jane Powell Campbell.

iii) Publication: I have attended and presented papers at the following conferences:

International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE)n College Campuses: How Universities and The Recording Industry are Coping with the music File-Sharing Sensation.”

2001 International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), Tallahassee, FL. “The Napster Revolution on College Campuses: How Universities and The Recording Industry are Coping with the Music File-Sharing Sensation.”

2001 International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), Tallahassee, FL. “Faculty Adoption of the Campus Intranet System for Posting Grades: A Diffusion Study.” (K. Keltner and T. Hutchison)

1999 International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), Tampa FL. “Computer-Based Campus Information Services.”

1998 International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), Santa Fe. "On-campus kiosks as information providers: are they living up to expectations?"

1996 International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), New Orleans. "The diffusion of new interactive technologies: consumer kiosks." (T. Hutchison, C. E. Wotring, E. Forrest).

1994 International Conference on Technology and Education, London, UK. - "A case study: the diffusion of CD-I." (T. Hutchison, C. E. Wotring, E. Forrest).

V. Additional information

A. Describe your methods for learning more about instructional technology.

i) I have spent a lot of time in ITD workshops and one-on-one instruction.

ii) I subscribe to T.H.E. Journal and online publications.

iii) I conduct research on the use of technology on campus.

iv) I will continue to attend the ICTE conference.

B. Describe your requirements for student use of instructional technology.

i) In my lecture classes, students must access the class website to complete assignments that require online research. All assignments are posted on the website. I encourage students to download my PowerPoint lectures from the website and bring the printouts to the class lecture.

ii) In Record Label Operations and Record Industry Research, students must use the class website to complete assignments.

iii) For RIM internships, students must access the site to determine their standing in the course. I do not make that information available over the phone or via email.

C. Highlight your plans for future use of instructional technology.

I intend to continue developing new ways to incorporate technology into the classroom and into advising students. In the future, students in all my classes will be required to conduct online e-scavenger hunts to foster online research. I plan to continue to offer informational websites for students activities (NARM convention), the career website, software tutorials, and other non-classroom related subjects.

[1] StarTracker is an integrated database for the music business featuring complete information on record labels, music publishers, managers, agents, performance venues, local media, colleges, churches, and retail record stores. Students learn the program and develop and implement marketing plans for artists at their record label.

[2] ArtistPro is an online database of all industry-related business.

[3] MediaBase is an integrated CD-ROM database of all media outlets. Students must learn to use the software to create targeted media lists for their marketing campaigns.