MDD410: Emerging Multimedias and Technologies Reflection
Through my MDD410 course, I gained a lot of new insight on technologies that I didn’t even know existed or that people were bringing to fruition. Although my expectations of the course were incorrect, it certainly did not disappoint.
What did you expect to learn from MDD410 when you first signed up for the course?
When first signing up for the course, I expected to learn more about computer related technologies. This is probably because I’m biased and used to my computer oriented major, however, I soon realized that we would be venturing into technology in all realms (phones, video games, etc.) So, needless to say, I ended up learning about much more than what I had planned on. At times, this was overwhelmingly, for example with AR and VR I was not really familiar with the topic prior. I knew it existed of course but had no idea of the real capabilities that it had, which can be life changing in some cases.
What did you learn that was new or that you now view in a different way? What helped you to learn this?
One thing I learned about that previously I had no knowledge about was 3D printing. I had no idea that you could utilize Adobe programs in order to create a blueprint to be 3D printed. This caused me to view the world of 3D printing in a different way because before I felt that it must be so difficult and unobtainable for the average person to be able to work with. Upon creating my own 3D shape, though, I realized that probably so many programs out there exist to help you bring your ideas to life. If you have a concept, you can probably find a tool or program to help you build that blueprint.
Continuing on the topic of 3D printing, I learned about how many different uses there really are for 3D printing. Of course, in the present day, more and more people are purchasing 3D printers for their home. This is usually the only thing I ever thought of when thinking about 3D printing; the people who print things to sell or niche little devices that help out around the house (cellphone stands, coasters,etc). When joining the class discussion, though, it was brought to my attention that these devices can play a huge role in manufacturing. One person mentioned the possibility of printers being able to replicate materials that we get from animals or nature that isn’t always ethically sourced. I truly hadn’t thought about all the different materials these printers can work with because I’m used to just seeing plain, plastic objects. So for me, the week we discussed 3D printers was where I learned the most new information. I learned a lot from my classmates and the lesson/lab itself.
What is the key takeaway that you will retain from the course as you move forward into your career field?
As I move into my career field of Graphic Design, I will keep in mind that technology is ever evolving. The development of new applications, websites, and machines are not slowing down anytime soon. So, one important thing for me to remember is to always keep up with the latest editing programs. I focus primarily on the Adobe Creative Suite, but even these programs are constantly changing; case in point would be the fact that I didn’t know you could 3D model in using Adobe. The most important thing that I learned was that I will always need to keep myself up to speed on technology and how it will relate to my career in order for me to adapt and remain successful.
Overall, this course has been informational for me and I do see how it was a necessary piece to me earning my degree. Although I am not 100% sure what exact career field I will end up in, I do know that it will be rooted in technology and utilizing the internet, so I learned a lot of important things. I think it was great to hear the perspective of my fellow classmates on a lot of the topics that we learned about, such as privacy. I can only hope that moving forward in life I continue to be able to learn from my peers not only about the technologies they use in their day to day lives, but also their personal opinions on these have affected society.
