What is the Digital Media Project?
The Digital Media Project (DMP) serves as a digital and technology hub for the Department of English. Our main office is in 324 Denney Hall, and our four supported classrooms are also on the third floor of Denney. We support students’ academic and intellectual growth during their time at The Ohio State University, we prepare students to be tech- and digital-media-savvy professionals after they leave our campus, and we train our instructors so that they can incorporate cutting-edge digital media pedagogy into their teaching both in our department and in future faculty positions.
Our Mission
To enrich the experience of students in the English department through digital media production work.
Through DMP resources, from video cameras to computers equipped with specific programs geared towards English courses, students are able to expand their understanding of elements of the English curriculum from narrative to critical analysis to writing and more. Whether students are creating a film for Literacy Narratives of Black Columbus or crafting an accessible text for a Disability Studies course, the DMP strives to provide the resources necessary to ensure that all students find success.
To prepare students to succeed in the professional world after they graduate.
English majors and minors have long been sought-after hires in a wide range of fifields because they can communicate clearly and with ease. In today’s work world, communication takes a variety of forms, from writing to images to video to animations. The DMP helps students develop fluency in all these forms of communication by training them in a range of genres like video and podcasts using industry-standard software like Adobe Creative Cloud.
To train instructors in cutting-edge digital media pedagogy.
The DMP offers instructors the opportunity to develop their own skills in digital media production and incorporate digital media into their own teaching. We accomplish this through staff-led workshops, as well as through our support of the Digital Media and Composition Institute (DMAC), an annual teacher-training program.
Digital Media Awards now open for submission!
The DMP manages two awards for the English department, which are open for submission at the beginning of the spring semester and included in the department's annual awards recognition.
Undergraduate students in any English class — not only classes taught within the DMP — may apply to the Digital Media Prize for Outstanding Undergraduate Work.
Graduate students in any degree program within the Department of English may apply to both the Digital Media Prize for Outstanding Graduate Work and the Eric Walborn Award for Excellence in Digital Media and English Studies Instruction.
The 2024-2025 application deadline is Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
The Digital Media Prize for Outstanding Undergraduate Work recognizes outstanding student digital media projects completed in undergraduate courses in the Department of English. Four Digital Media Prizes, each of which comes with a $100 scholarship,* will be awarded at the departmental awards ceremony in April.
* Note that any group submissions will receive one $100 scholarship that will be equally divided among the group's members.
Eligibility
- All submissions must come from a Department of English undergraduate course
- Submissions must come from courses taken in the past year, i.e. spring, summer, or autumn 2024.
- Additionally, all work submitted must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Must be constructed from original materials
- Must be constructed from materials for which permission has been granted
- Must be constructed from materials that were used appropriately according to Creative Commons or similar licensing
- Must be constructed from materials found in the public domain
- Must be a clearly defined parody of an already existing text
- Must be constructed from a combination of the above materials
- Note: Any use of material created by others must explicitly acknowledge the source of the materials and conditions of its use (e.g., permission, license, fair use or public domain) in a manner appropriate to the medium (e.g., spoken credits at the end of an audio piece, on-screen credits at the end of a video piece). Material created by others MUST be public domain, fall under fair use, or be material for which the submitter has permission or license. Simply citing the material does not mean that it falls under one of these categories.
- Accessibility is an important aspect of digital media, and submissions for the Digital Media Prize should include relevant access features.
- Texts and other written work should use headings, lists, tables of contents, and true columns as appropriate; adequate text size and strong color contrast; links should include descriptive text (rather than plain URLs); and any embedded visuals should include alternative text or captions.
- Audio projects should be accompanied by transcripts and captions as appropriate.
- Video projects should include captions and audio description as appropriate.
- Authors may revise the original submissions of their projects to make them more accessible before submitting.
- If you need help with digital accessibility, feel free to drop by the Digital Media Project in Denney 324, or to email dmphelp@osu.edu
- Definitions:
- Alternative text (or alt text) describes relevant details of non-decorative images for low-vision readers.
- Transcribing refers to capturing in text all the speech in a video or audio asset.
- Captioning refers to supplementing the transcript with textual descriptions of other sounds that are relevant to understanding the project—for example, describing background music or sound effects.
- Audio description refers to providing verbal descriptions of visual elements in a video.
- For additional information, please consult the National Center on Disability and Access to Education’s Cheatsheet on Creating Accessible Electronic Content [PDF].
Application requirements
Students must submit:
- A project in a deliverable digital format (e.g. .jpg, .mp3, .mov, .html, URL, etc.), or digital documentation of a physical object designed and produced by digital means (e.g. a 3D printed object, with photographs and design files as documentation)
- A one-page cover letter explaining:
- The course for which the assignment was completed
- The assignment itself
- How the project responds successfully to that assignment
- An online application form
Questions?
If you have any questions about this award, please contact Mike Bierschenk (.1)
The 2024-2025 application deadline is Monday, February 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
The Digital Media Prize for Outstanding Graduate Work recognizes outstanding digital media work completed by graduate students in the Department of English. This work could have been developed in a seminar or as a part of the student’s research or creative work. Students should nominate themselves for the prize (instructors should feel free to encourage student nominations). A nomination for the prize should include a copy of the project submitted in a deliverable digital format (e.g., .jpg, .png, mp3, .m4v, .html, URL, etc.) and a one-page cover letter explaining the context for the project (e.g., audience, occasion, etc.) and, in the case of scholarship on digital media, explaining the contribution of the submission to our understanding of digital media. Eligible work must have been produced in the Department of English and should be designed in accordance with best practices for accessibility.
Copyright and fair use: All work submitted must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Must be constructed from original materials
- Must be constructed from materials for which permission has been granted
- Must be constructed from materials that were used appropriately according to Creative Commons or similar licensing
- Must be constructed from materials found in the public domain
- Must be a clearly defined parody of an already existing text
- Must be constructed from a combination of the above materials
- Note: Any use of material created by others must explicitly acknowledge the source of the materials and conditions of its use (e.g., permission, license, fair use, or public domain) in a manner appropriate to the medium (e.g., spoken credits at the end of an audio piece, on-screen credits at the end of a video piece)
Accessibility: Accessibility is an important aspect of digital media, and nominations for the Digital Media Prize should include relevant access features.
- Texts and other written work should use headings, lists, tables of contents, and true columns as appropriate; adequate text size and strong color contrast; links should include descriptive text (rather than plain URLs); and any embedded visuals should include alternative text or captions.
- Audio projects should be accompanied by transcripts and captions as appropriate.
- Video projects should include captions and audio description as appropriate.
Authors may revise the original submissions of their projects to make them more accessible before submitting.
Definitions: Alternative text (or alt text) describes relevant details of non-decorative images for low-vision readers. Transcribing refers to capturing in text all the speech in a video or audio asset. Captioning refers to supplementing the transcript with textual descriptions of other sounds that are relevant to understanding the project—for example, describing background music or sound effects. Audio description refers to providing verbal descriptions of visual elements in a video.
For additional information, please consult the National Center on Disability and Access to Education’s Cheatsheet on Creating Accessible Electronic Content.
Submission instructions: To submit a nomination, please email an accessible copy of the project, any supplementary access documents (e.g. transcripts), and the one-page cover letter to dmphelp@osu.edu.
The 2024-2025 application deadline is Monday, February 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
This award — established in memory of Eric Walborn, coordinator of the Digital Media Project (formerly Computers in Composition and Literature/CCL) from 1987 to 1993 — recognizes excellence and innovation in computer-supported teaching and/or the development of digital media instructional materials in any area of English studies. The Walborn Award, given annually to a graduate student in the Department of English, consists of a cash award and recognition at the English department's annual awards ceremony. We encourage submission of course materials — syllabi, assignments, class activities — and new course proposals; materials and proposals that encourage student digital media production are especially welcome.
- Eligibility: Any graduate student in the Department of English who has developed digital media instructional materials during the current academic year is eligible.
- Nominations: Teachers interested in nominating themselves should submit the following in support of their nomination,
- Appropriate course materials: syllabi, copies of assignments/activities, course proposals
- A one-page description of the assignments or activities, including an explanation of the context for the assignment or activity and an explanation of how the technology supports the pedagogical aims of the assignment or activity
- If applicable, examples of students work (optional). Note: If course materials are online, you may submit a URL with specific instructions describing where to find the materials. Course websites must not be password protected. If your submission includes innovative ways in which you have used features of Carmen (not just the materials contained within), please note that. We will request that you give the judges access to your Carmen class.
- Judging: A Walborn Award Selection Committee of English faculty will be convened to screen the submissions and determine the winner of the award.
Please send submissions to dmphelp@osu.edu.
DMP Hours
The DMP is open throughout the autumn and spring instructional periods. We are closed along with the rest of the university on university holidays. During instructional breaks when offices remain open, we are open by appointment only. If you have questions or would like to make an appointment, email dmphelp@osu.edu.
Our hours in spring semester 2025 are 9:15am–5:15pm Monday–Friday.
Lab Hours
When the DMP is open and our classrooms are not otherwise in use, all of our facilities are open to students and department members for study, collaboration, and relaxation, in accordance with the following policies:
- DMP classrooms are locked when not in use; for access, drop by the DMP office and a staff member will unlock the desired room. Close the door and let DMP staff know when you are finished using the room.
- Lab hours end 15 minutes before scheduled classes/office closing. Please be mindful of time and wrap up your work to give sufficient passing time between events.
- Dell laptops, iPads, and Xbox discs are available for checkout, but must remain on the 3rd floor of Denney Hall and must be checked back in when you leave.
- You are encouraged to bring and use headphones when possible. In the game lab, where this may not be possible, please keep game volume reasonable so as not to disturb classes in other rooms.
Lab hours vary from week to week, depending on room reservations. Check the calendars below for availability. If you need to reserve a room in advance, or if you have any questions, drop by Denney 324 or send us an email.
Denney 316 is our video game lab. Students in video game analysis classes may use the space for out-of-class playthroughs, and anyone is welcome to use the space for relaxation.
Denney 312 is set up with movable/reconfigurable tables, and a portable whiteboard, as well as a few iMac stations and a large display monitor. Good for: collaboration, digital media production.
Denney 308 is set up with a long conference table, worktables around the edge of the room, and a large display monitor. Good for: meetings, study.
Denney 307 is set up with tablet-arm desks and a large TV for displaying computer or tablet content. Good for: studying, presentations.
DMP Workshops
Assigning a rich media project, but would like support in presenting the software to your students? Have a working group that would like to know more about our systems? We're always happy to present!
For recordings of past workshops, check out our Resources page, or visit the DMP YouTube channel.
DMP Staff
DMP Manager: Mike Bierschenk
DMP Student Assistants: Renn Bowen, Blaise Reader, James Blakely
