# 20240212 Learning Lab Workshop: GOV94OL


ALT TEXT: a gif of a student, Louisa, receiving a button-bottleopener of her face, taken from a photo during the workshop. She and a few other students are expressing their shock and joy at receiving this button, which was clearly made sometime during class.

## Introduction

The Learning Lab workshop at the Bok Center's Learning Lab was an immersive experience designed to explore the intersection of emergent media/AI and politics.

## Course Description
**GOV94OL**

This course offers an in-depth exploration of artificial intelligence's societal impacts. It challenges students to consider the legal, ethical, and policy implications of AI and encourages them to actively engage with complex questions through group projects and individual research.

Guiding Questions:
* What are the key differences between American and European approaches to AI regulation?
* How can AI impact legal systems, higher education, and the nature of work?

## Workshop Stations Overview


ALT TEXT: This image is two shots, one on the top and one on the bottom. The top shot shows the "floating" heads of two students projected over a wooden tabletop. The buttom shot is of those students in green-screen suits, in front of a green screen, which is creating the "floating head" effect in the top shot. Both are smiling.

### Station 1: Microphone Taste Test and Intro to Audio Editing in GarageBand

At this station, participants explored the nuanced audio qualities of different microphones, reflecting on how sound can influence the emotional and rhetorical impact of media.

**Microphone Types Explored:**
* Podcasting mics
* Dynamic mics
* Lapel mics
* Shotgun mics

**Key Activities:**
* Comparing microphones based on tone and emotional register
* Basic audio editing in GarageBand

**Guiding Questions:**

* How does the choice of microphone impact the listener's emotional response?
* In what scenarios would each type of microphone be most effective?

#### [Podcasting Resource](https://hackmd.io/UU7gKbV-T1SRbPCzaHayPw?view)

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### Station 2: Coding/AI/Data Visualization

This station provided a hands-on introduction to the ways AI and coding can be used to create compelling visual data stories.

**Key Tools and Concepts:**

* Python notebooks with OpenAI API for image generation
* Blender and other 3D environments

**Guiding Questions:**

* How can AI transform traditional data visualization techniques?
* What are the implications of using AI in creating political images?

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### Station 3: Video and Visuals

Focusing on the creative process behind multimedia projects, this station offered insights into effective storytelling through podcasts and video essays.

**Key Components Discussed:**

* Storytelling mechanics
* Role of media elements (music, sound bites, voiceover)
* Process of creating multimedia content

**Guiding Questions:**

* What factors should be considered when choosing a medium for a project?
* How do different elements of a podcast contribute to its overall narrative?

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## Conclusion
The Learning Lab workshop highlighted the potential of emergent media and AI as powerful tools-- how they may may imapct the future of politics is up to the students in GOV94OL.

**Reflective Questions:**
* How can the principles learned in this workshop be applied to your own projects?
* What new media/AI form are you most interested in exploring further, and why?

## Resources

For more information on podcasting, check out this [podcasting resource](https://hackmd.io/UU7gKbV-T1SRbPCzaHayPw?view).

To schedule a consultation or to schedule filming/recording in one of our studios, please email the learning lab at [e-mail].