The MultiMedia Communication Laboratory is active in the research and development of applications and technologies for communication. It specifically deals with:
-research;
-training;
-project design, development and services.
Research: the MultiMedia Laboratory has been and is involved in numerous national and international projects. In addition to being an important resource for the Laboratory, these projects guarantee a strong network of relationships with institutions and businesses, which allows for constant updates of the most innovative lines of research.
Training: this theme, highly strategic in the field of technologies, is aimed at students, professionals and operators from various labour sectors.
Professional refresher courses as initiatives of the European Social Fund (ESF), training workshops for operators of the public and private sector, and qualified training courses for editing and audio production are all organised.
Project design and the development of multimedia material: expertise in the humanities and in technology make the Laboratory an ideal environment for the development of multimedia services. Within a more general methodology of user centred design, different techniques such as task analysis, questionnaires, observations, interviews, iterative prototyping and participatory project design are used to guarantee high quality production.
The Laboratory is the natural continuation of 19 years of experience of the Multimedia Communication Laboratory of the University of Siena, which was founded in 1992, the year the first cycle degree course “Communication Sciences” was launched at the Department of Letters and Philosophy, under the scientific direction of Prof. Sebastiano Bagnara, full Professor of Psychology and President of the degree course in Communication Sciences.
The Laboratory is structured in three “areas”:
COMPUTEC – Laboratory of Technologies for Public and Institutional Communication
Following the positive feedback received over the four years of workshops dedicated to the study of the relationships between public communication and technologies (Compu-tec), the “section” Compu-Tec was founded within the MultiMedia Communication Laboratory, in order to study these relationships more in depth.
In addition to research and training, this Laboratory performs studies in the field of digital technologies and their use in the public administration, with reference to communications and relational models, and designs and implements projects for interacting with citizens in order to provide public services. It also holds professional training and refresher courses for public administrations and institutions. The Laboratory has thus developed a series of close collaborations with institutional partners at all levels: local (Municipal Administration and Province), regional (Fondazione Sistema Toscana), national (Italian Association for Public and Institutional Communication) and international (Purdue University –USA).
PROMOTER – Laboratory of Technologies for Marketing and Digital Communication
This Laboratory intends to be a permanent observatory of marketing and digital communication, with special attention to the world of social media.
It operates thanks to a pool of experts coordinated by scholars and professionals of communications in new media.
Its activities are mainly aimed at businesses, authorities, associations, institutions, foundations, etc. who are interested in:
-analysing their web presence and the resulting implications in terms of reputation, and more in general, of branding;
-develop new creative concepts for products, services and forms of promotion;
-study the online behavioural dynamics of stakeholders;
-evaluate the effectiveness of their web marketing initiatives;
-receive commercial opportunities, feedback and insight;
-study conceptual frames, social media marketing trends and web communication.
This Laboratory provides systems for data collection and for study in the field of best & worst practices worldwide in the academic and business sectors.
In the majority of cases, research activity culminates in a publication (research report, ebook, monograph, etc.) created in order to contribute to the diffusion of knowledge and to build and reinforce identity. The Laboratory’s objective is therefore to understand the most important features of the evolution in the sector of social media marketing and new technologies, and to develop innovative projects that can anticipate current trends wherever possible.
MULTIMEDIART - Media and Communication
The Multimediart area provides didactic support for teaching information technology and disciplines related to the production of music and of multimedia material.
It is also active in the production of video content, both for the Department and for the University, visible on its main platforms (iTunesU, YouTube, Facebook).
It also operates in the field of experimental research with specific hardware and software technologies for promoting cultural assets.
Additionally, it holds training activities for businesses through contracts and agreements, which contribute to the resources needed to keep it working.
Projects concluded in the AY 2010/2011:
- Computec, Cycle of training workshops on “public communication and technologies”
Projects underway:
- Internet Better Governance
- Book series “Communication Media Technologies” with Bonanno Editore
Partnerships and agreements
- Agreement with the Provincial Administration of Siena for the presence of the portal “Terre di Siena” on Social Networks
- Partnership with the Italian Association for Public and Institutional Communication
- Partnership with the Association for open data: DataGov.it
- Partnership with Purdue University –USA
- Partnership with Fondazione Sistema Toscana
- Agreement with the Percorsi Audio Company for supplying the course Pro Tools 101, Digidesign-Avid Audio