welcome

The Bio New Media Laboratory (BioMediaLab), established in January 2004, creates sophisticated Web applications for both large and small courses. Mary Tyler and Ronald Kozlowski, who have been developing multimedia educational material for developmental biology, cell biology, genetics, and behavior courses for a number of years, started the facility. Mary Tyler's grant from NSF-DUE enabled her to build and publish interactive CD-ROM-Web hybrids, DVDs and electronic lab manuals, as well as to develop the expertise in the lab through Ron Kozlowski, now Director of the Biology New Media Facility. In collaborations with other faculty, the facility has been advancing programs in education and serving research.

synapse

Synapse, the main focus of the BML, is a web-based learning/teaching application. Synapse provides students with the ability to take online tests and quizzes, view lecture information, check their grades throughout the semester, chat or study with other students, as well as receive messages and handouts from their professors. Professors enjoy synapse for the ease of entering grades and automatic quiz scoring as well as the ability to provide useful powerpoints, movies and handouts easily and efficiently. Professors and students alike make use of the synapse support center, which provides many services to help students and professors get the most out of their synapse experience. Synapse is constantly expanding as several of the BML's top software engineers and graphic designers improve and adapt the system. Synapse was first released in Fall 2006 at the University of Maine and since has grown to 1,264 users.

projects

In addition to Synapse, the BioMediaLab builds customized Web sites for departments and research laboratory facilities at the University of Maine. Many of our sites include a password-protected "back-end" that allows facilitators of the site to update and change content easily without any programming knowledge. Visit the sites to the right to see some examples of our recent projects.

If you are interested in the BioMediaLab building a Web site for your department or lab, please contact Ron Kozlowski at 581-2543 . or email ron@umit.maine.edu

staff

The BioMediaLab employs University of Maine students who are interested in:

• Programming • Web/Graphic Design • Technical Support • Media Content Creation

If you are a student and have experience, or would like to gain experience in these areas, please contact us. Scroll through our staff biographies to learn more about us.

services

We have equipment and people trained to help you use, or implement, technology in any project you may be doing. Please contact us to discuss rates and charges for the services listed below (or any others you might have in mind).

• Synapse Support • Rich media educational content creation • Website development • Applications development • Video post production • Web/Graphic Design