Ask Paul Lawrence for a copy of his thesis and he’ll hand you a CD-ROM.
Lawrence, who graduates Nov. 28 with a Master of Fine Arts degree, is the first
UBC student to use the pillar of modern information technology to present his
thesis in its entirety.
“CD-ROM is a valid medium and working with it was a learning opportunity that I
didn’t want to miss,” Lawrence said. “Presenting linear subject matter using
non-linear digital technology challenged me in different ways, and that’s what
education is all about.”
His peers seem to be thinking the same way. Brenda Peterson, head of Special
Collections at Main Library, reports that, for the first time this year,
several students submitted parts of their dissertations on CD-ROM.
In his thesis abstract, Lawrence describes the interactive CD as a combination
of text, video and audio, built using a mix of traditional cinematic methods
and modern digital tools. Titled, At First Brush, the CD demonstrates the
process of scene painting.
Earning his master’s degree while working as a producer/director of educational
videos for UBC Media Services, Lawrence got the idea while directing a series
of telecourses for the Theatre, Film and Creative Writing Dept.
“Working on the videotape project focused my attention on the use of technology
in education,” he recalled. “With my thesis, I wanted to explore how we look at
educational technology and how it can be expanded.”
An Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design graduate in film and electronic
design, Lawrence approached the project as a film-maker working with an
interactive form. He spent about three months designing the background screens
and master template for the CD-ROM, and another month directing the video
material to be incorporated into At First Brush.
Being the first defence of a thesis entirely on CD-ROM at the university
presented both Lawrence and his advisers with some unique challenges.
Chief among them was ensuring that everyone had the correct definitions and
terminology which Lawrence provided in a production report, enabling his thesis
panel to prepare appropriate questions.
“I received incredible support,” Lawrence said. “My advisers, Ray Hall, Ron
Fedoruk and John Newton were very willing to take this on as a first.”
Hall, Lawrence’s main supervisor, was excited by the project’s potential to
have use beyond being a graduate thesis.
“It was an opportunity for Paul to extend the video telecourse he had designed
for Ron Fedoruk, incorporating features which would encourage students to
interact with the course content in a more engaging and active way,” Hall
explained.
“As well, with CD-ROM, the content is instantly accessible. His thesis provides
continuity between the disc and the telecourse.”
Hall added that Lawrence’s work broke new ground in the department and has
provided other students with the opportunity to design in CD-ROM.
“We knew it would work but it was just a concept until Paul did it,” Hall
added. “I don’t think that anyone else on campus can match his understanding of
and competence in the digital arena.”
