The document discusses multimedia innovations in journalism education at the University of Florida, highlighting the evolution from traditional software to mobile web-based storytelling. It outlines the curriculum changes, including new courses on web design and advanced technologies, while also emphasizing the importance of engaging a mobile audience. The author shares links to resources and syllabi for further exploration of the topics covered.

1. Multimedia Innovations
in the Classroom
Mindy McAdams
University of Florida, USA
WJEC 2016, Auckland, New Zealand

2. What is “multimedia” journalism?
 Web-based storytelling
 Combining video, audio, text and graphics
• In one story
• In the same package, online
 Can include maps, timeline of events, data
charts, animation, etc.—as needed

3. Back in … 1999–2002
 Dreamweaver software
 HTML and CSS
 Microsoft .asp technologies
 Video editing software

4. 2002–2011: “Interactives”
 Flash software
 ActionScript code
 Single-screen experience
(instead of linked pages)
Flash Journalism: How to Create Multimedia
News Packages, 2005 (Focal Press/Elsevier)

5. Death of Flash, rise of mobile Web

6. In December 2012, The New York Times published an
online story package that changed the way journalists
thought about “multimedia.”

7. Read this: http://bit.ly/mm-mmj

8. Frustration … Success
Curriculum … department chairs ... someone
else’s idea of how to teach Web design and
development ...
Then finally, a new department chair
and two new “apps” courses for me to teach!

9. No course pre-requisites
Open to journalism, advertising, public relations and telecom students
HTML and CSS and JavaScript and jQuery
Maps, audio, responsive design, mobile and more!
23 students (capacity)
> Flipped classroom <
> YouTube videos for instruction <
Graded assignments EVERY WEEK
Syllabus and links: https://introwebapps.wordpress.com/

10. The intro course is the only pre-requisite
Also open to journalism, advertising, public relations and telecom students
More advanced technologies — Web “back end” databases (MySQL)
Python programming language, Web scraping
6 students (first class: January–May 2016)
They all gave the course high praise in written evaluations!
Not a flipped classroom — more collaborative
Syllabus and links: https://webappsplus.wordpress.com/

11.  Who will be the innovators?
 Who will create the next “Snow Fall”?
 How will journalism engage and captivate a
mobile audience?
 Code is a language of creative possibilities!

12. Mindy McAdams
University of Florida, USA
mmcadams@jou.ufl.edu
Twitter: @macloo
Facebook: mindy.mcadams

13. Links
 (Re)defining multimedia journalism
http://bit.ly/mm-mmj
 Intro to Web Apps syllabus
https://introwebapps.wordpress.com/
 Advanced Web Apps syllabus
https://webappsplus.wordpress.com/
 Videos for basic course
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZFU-
W6LLeecJuSQh20QUU_gCmS30sLTB