Technology in Interpretation

Results: Summary and Conclusion   

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Overall, this project has made major progress toward achieving the primary goal.  In regards to training facilities, the computer lab in the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center is an incredible resource for students and instructors in the interpretive program.  The modern equipment and software provide direct hands-on learning opportunities.  Students are able to use this technology to design, develop, and fabricate high-quality interpretive products all within the specialized computer lab.  The training facility is a major asset not only to the environmental education and interpretation program, but also to the entire College of Natural Resources as a whole.

Beyond having facilities available for student use, training modules were developed to teach students technology skills that will be important to their future careers.  The digital presentation and desktop publishing training sessions were well received by the students.  As revealed through the focus group discussions, students enjoyed learning about technology, were comfortable using the skills they acquired, and sincerely believed that these skills would be important to their lives after graduation.  Both Dr. Michael Gross and Ron Zimmerman agreed that for students who participated in the training modules, the visual quality of their interpretive products was much higher than in previous years.  The positive attitudes of students and the high quality results of their work are very encouraging.  It is likely that students will carry these technology skills past graduation and into their future professions. 

Although training facilities and courses were developed as part of the primary goal, there are still many improvements that need to be made before students can realize the full potential of the technology training.  A series of recommendations were developed from the results of focus group discussions with the students and surveys sent out to professional interpreters and supervisors in the field.  A matrix summarizes and prioritizes these recommendations (a priority level of 1 is the most important).  Click here to view the Priority Matrix.  The suggestions should be adopted as quickly as possible to improve the effectiveness of the technology training, and to further progress toward achieving the primary goal of the project. 

Computer technology will continue to become more integral parts of our lives in the future.  Interpretation is powerful, because it is based in the “real” natural and cultural resources of the planet rather than the “virtual” worlds that computers create.  Still, the profession has found many ways of incorporating computers that increase the efficiency of work, and enhance the connections between the interests of visitors and the meanings of resources.  Students graduating from a quality interpretive training program, like the one at UWSP, need to learn and use the essential technology skills that will help them be more successful in the field.  This project has created a foundation for technology training in the interpretive program at UWSP.  It is hoped that the training will continue to improve and expand in ways that will benefit student learning for years to come. 

One student in the focus group discussions epitomized this hope when describing her experience.

I really liked these labs.  You can have labs that get you through the semester, get you your grade at the end, and you’ll forget about them and never go back to the stuff you learned. But I think that these are really something that will continue to be beneficial even after graduation. 

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