Teaching resources – CD-ROM, DVD and in print

Posted Feb 28 2010 by fishface in obos projects with Comments Off

FlashBACK prototype version April 1992

Teaching Resources primarily on CD-ROM, DVD and in print

Since 1992 I have been employed by the Office of the Board of Studies NSW [OBOS] to design and develop teaching resources specifically using technology as a ‘medium’. This has included Print and digital delivery techniques such as CD-ROM, DVD and web based services. Initially my role was ‘Interactive Design’ and since 1996 it has been designated ‘Principal Design Officer’.

During the period 1992-2005 many CD-ROM teaching resources were developed by the ‘Interactive Design Group’ now expanded into ‘Information Services Branch’ at the Office of the Board of Studies NSW.

The initial project that started this whole production process was ‘Flashback’ – a CD-ROM based project on Australia’s historical involvement in various wars. It was primarily focussed on addressing very specific sections of the Secondary School History Curriculum. [SC & HSC]

The prototype was developed over the period of mid-late 1991 for presentation at an Australian Federal Educational Curriculum Conference in early 1992 [April]. It was to be used to demonstrate the possible future integration of technology into schools and teaching in general.

It was developed in Apple Hypercard and used the ‘new’ Quicktime to provide a colour graphic front end. A beta version of Quicktime was used to compress the initial video content and QT v1.0 was delivered on the Demonstration Disc. At this time there were only 2 of us involved – myself doing design, programming and production duties with Lyndon Sharp providing the text and image content and background research. It was well received at the conference as an example of where teaching and educational resources could be developed in the future.

FlashBACK production version late 1992

The ‘Interactive Design Group’ was set up at the OBOS and development started on a production version of the CD-ROM. This was released in 1992 and sold out it’s initial print run very quickly. We also received a great deal of press interest including Newspapers, radio and TV. It was fairly revolutionary for it’s time and came at the beginning of the rush to CD-ROM based ‘interactive media’ that preceded the Web/internet.

More CD-ROM resources were subsequently commissioned for production and sale, and a more permanent teaching resource production arrangement was set up at the OBOS.

My role continued to be providing primary information design, cross-platform programming and graphic production. As more projects were taken on and developed the production team expanded.

Other discs developed and produced over the next 10+ years included content on a wide range of School teaching areas. Content has changed and developed with the wider technology market and pressures.

With the advent of the internet and web content delivery platforms, both demand and expectations have changed leading to a more focussed use of CD-ROM, DVD and related delivery mediums. Many hundreds of Discs have been produced delivering resources by the OBOS. The internet has now replaced even many of these for large digital file delivery except in more remote communities.