New Media Consortium
Encyclopedia
The New Media Consortium (NMC) is an international 501(c)3 not-for-profit consortium of more than 250 colleges, universities, museums, corporations, and other learning-focused organizations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new technologies.
NMC member institutions are found in almost every state in the United States
, across Canada
, and in Europe
, Latin America
, Asia
, and Australia
.
The founding partners launched an international search in April 1993 to identify schools in which an investment in multimedia capacity could bear fruit. The first New Media Center was established at Stanford University
and 21 others quickly followed. The colleges among the first group of 22 academic institutions were chosen for their demonstrated competence at using new media technologies, as well as their geographic distribution and breadth of academic specialties.
Those 22 institutions initiated a number of collaborative activities, and their working group — then called the New Media Centers — quickly evolved into an independent not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation by early 1994, with headquarters in San Francisco.
In 1995 and 1998, the organization expanded the membership in two international searches. In 2002, the NMC moved its national headquarters from San Francisco, CA to Austin, TX.
Over the years, the NMC expanded to the present status (in 2006) of approximately 250 colleges, universities, research centers, and museums (current member list) and evolved into an organization known for exploring the frontiers of learning technology and the issues that surround it.
In early 2006 the NMC established a virtual campus in Second Life
. The NMC Campus Observer is a blog
that chronicles the activities on the virtual campus.
The annual NMC Summer conference is the largest NMC event, and it is held each year at a different host institution, or institutions.
The 2012 NMC Summer conference was hosted by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Past conferences have been hosted by
In 2005, the fall regional conference was held at Yale University
. The 2006 fall regional conference was at Trinity University
in San Antonio.
In 2005 and 2006, NMC Online conferences focused on visual literacy
, educational gaming, personal broadcasting, and the impact of digital media. In fall 2006, the NMC's Series of Online Conferences was renamed the NMC Series of Virtual Symposia, a biannual series of topical forums held in the virtual world of Second Life
. Symposium topics have included Creativity, the Evolution of Communication, Scholarly Mashups, and New Media and Learning. In 2009, a new annual symposium was launched entitled "The Symposium for the Future."
in the United States
. The headquarters office is in Austin, Texas
.
NMC member institutions are found in almost every state in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
The New Media Consortium (NMC) was founded in 1993 by a group of hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers who felt that the ultimate success of their multimedia-capable products depended upon their acceptance by the higher education community.The founding partners launched an international search in April 1993 to identify schools in which an investment in multimedia capacity could bear fruit. The first New Media Center was established at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and 21 others quickly followed. The colleges among the first group of 22 academic institutions were chosen for their demonstrated competence at using new media technologies, as well as their geographic distribution and breadth of academic specialties.
Those 22 institutions initiated a number of collaborative activities, and their working group — then called the New Media Centers — quickly evolved into an independent not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation by early 1994, with headquarters in San Francisco.
In 1995 and 1998, the organization expanded the membership in two international searches. In 2002, the NMC moved its national headquarters from San Francisco, CA to Austin, TX.
Over the years, the NMC expanded to the present status (in 2006) of approximately 250 colleges, universities, research centers, and museums (current member list) and evolved into an organization known for exploring the frontiers of learning technology and the issues that surround it.
In early 2006 the NMC established a virtual campus in Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
. The NMC Campus Observer is a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
that chronicles the activities on the virtual campus.
Mission
The consortium serves as a catalyst for the development of new applications of technology to support learning and creative expression, and sponsors programs and activities designed to stimulate innovation, encourage collaboration, and recognize excellence among its member institutions.Initiatives
The NMC’s work is organized around major initiatives. Two of these support the NMC’s focus on stimulating innovation, and provide a framework for its explorations. The remaining initiatives provide the foundation for the work of the consortium.- The Emerging Technologies Initiative focuses on expanding the boundaries of teaching, learning and creative expression by creatively applying new tools in new contexts. The Horizon Project, the centerpiece of this initiative, charts the landscape of emerging technologies and produces the NMC’s annual Horizon Report. The 2006 Horizon Report can be found here.
- The New Media Literacy & Learning Initiative, in 2006 the NMC’s newest, is a multi-year effort to explore and expand the potential of new developments in visual and digital literacy. The NMC held a summit and an online conference to launch the project in 2005. The NMC's experimental campus in the virtual world of Second LifeSecond LifeSecond Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
falls under the banner of this initiative, as does the MacArthur-funded Series on Digital Media and Learning.
- The Dynamic Knowledge Initiative provides a mechanism for the NMC to generate, distribute, and share knowledge on topics of interest to the organization. The NMC’s Series of Online Conferences, through which the NMC is building a web of knowledge and online resources, is the most visible expression of this initiative.
- The New Collaborations Initiative encourages collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint projects between colleges and universities, museums, libraries, research centers, and other learning-focused organizations. The Pachyderm Project is its current (2006) centerpiece and experimental test bed. The Marcus Foundation Digital Education Project extends the work of the Pachyderm Project to nearly all of the art museums in TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Conferences
The NMC holds three different types of conferences: its flagship annual NMC Summer Conference, a topical regional conference each fall, and two online conferences that also have a very topical focus.The annual NMC Summer conference is the largest NMC event, and it is held each year at a different host institution, or institutions.
The 2012 NMC Summer conference was hosted by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Past conferences have been hosted by
- 2011, University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
- 2010, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
- 2009, CSU Monterey Bay
- 2008, Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
- 2007, IUPUI in IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
- 2006, Case Western, the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, and the Cleveland Institute of ArtCleveland Institute of ArtThe Cleveland Institute of Art is a private college of art and design located in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. From 1891 until 1948 it was named Cleveland School of Art. During the Great Depression the school... - 2005, University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
- 2004, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
- 2003, Virginia Tech
- 2002, Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
- 2001, California State University, Monterey BayCalifornia State University, Monterey BayCalifornia State University, Monterey Bay is a small public university in the California State University system on the site of the former U.S. Army base Fort Ord, on the Central Coast of California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.CSUMB was founded in 1994 with...
- 2000, University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
- 1999, University of California at Santa Barbara
- 1998, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
- 1997, Cal Poly Pomona
- 1996, University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
- 1995, California State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
In 2005, the fall regional conference was held at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. The 2006 fall regional conference was at Trinity University
Trinity University (Texas)
Trinity University is a private, independent, primarily undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Its campus is located in the Monte Vista Historic District and adjacent to Brackenridge Park....
in San Antonio.
In 2005 and 2006, NMC Online conferences focused on visual literacy
Visual literacy
Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be “read” and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading....
, educational gaming, personal broadcasting, and the impact of digital media. In fall 2006, the NMC's Series of Online Conferences was renamed the NMC Series of Virtual Symposia, a biannual series of topical forums held in the virtual world of Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
. Symposium topics have included Creativity, the Evolution of Communication, Scholarly Mashups, and New Media and Learning. In 2009, a new annual symposium was launched entitled "The Symposium for the Future."
Corporate Partners
- Adobe SystemsAdobe SystemsAdobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
- Apple Inc.
- Hewlett Packard
- Critique-It
- lynda.com
- Pearson eCollegeECollegeeCollege is an on-demand, or Software as a Service , provider of eLearning software and services to secondary and post-secondary learning institutions. Founded in 1996 as Real Education, the company went public in 2002 as eCollege.com...
- Learning Times
- Digital Media AcademyDigital Media Academy- History :The Digital Media Academy is a digital art and technology training company, offering Stanford University Continuing Studies accredited courses for adults as well as summer camp programs for kids, age 6-18, computer camp and tech camp at several universities in the US and Canada...
- HippasusHippasusHippasus of Metapontum in Magna Graecia, was a Pythagorean philosopher. Little is known about his life or his beliefs, but he is sometimes credited with the discovery of the existence of irrational numbers.-Life:...
- iClicker
- Toon Boom AnimationToon Boom AnimationToon Boom Animation Inc. is a Canadian software company that specializes in animation production software. Founded in 1994 and based in Montreal, Quebec, Toon Boom develops animation and storyboarding software for film, television, web animation, games, mobile devices, and training applications...
Staff
- Chief Executive Officer — Dr. Laurence F. JohnsonLaurence F. JohnsonDr. Larry Johnson is an American futurist, author, and educator. Since 2001, Dr. Johnson has served as Chief Executive Officer of the New Media Consortium an international consortium of hundreds of universities, colleges, museums, research centers, and technology companies.-Contributions:The...
- Senior Director, Financial Services and Controller, Anne Treadway, CPA
- Senior Director, Member Services — Nancy Reeves, CMP
- Senior Director, Communications Group - Paul Hicks
Offices
The NMC has offices in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The headquarters office is in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.