Two projects from Ball State University's Center for Media Design (CMD) have been selected as finalists in three categories in the inaugural Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards and will compete for top honors against such names as NASCAR, Showtime Networks and The Walt Disney Co.

Winners will be announced during the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards Gala Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at UCLA's Covel Commons, Grand Horizon Ballroom in Los Angeles.

"I am thrilled that Ball State is a finalist in this highly competitive nationwide competition; it acknowledges that the work we are doing at the CMD is at the forefront of what's happening in the digital technology industry," said Rodger Smith, CMD associate director. "I believe that this will be the first of many such recognitions. Continuing to garner national honors for the research that's taken place here in the last three years is the next logical evolution."

"Reality TV Bytes," an interactive, live broadcast that spoofed reality television, is a finalist in two categories: Best Interactive Television Programming and Television Technology of the Year. The show consisted of three major elements: a live talk show, a broadcast television program and a Web site that allowed visitors to view and interact with the broadcast.

"The live broadcast provided a unifying story line to the film's three acts," said Jennifer Blackmer, assistant professor of theater and the project's artistic director. "We alternated between watching the film and coming back to the talk show. It was truly a new form of filmmaking, one that demonstrated new technologies in production and interactivity."

Ball State is also a finalist for Best Use of Technology for Educational Programming. Faculty in nursing, social work and telecommunications were nominated for their use of "The Brain," commercial software programmed to lead students through simulated case studies. Students research cases using text, video clips or Web resources, providing them a better understanding of the people they study. Students then decide how to handle situations and reflect on how their decisions might play out.

Maria Williams-Hawkins, a telecommunications professor, says the project often forces students to choose between the expedient action and the correct action. "Students looking for linear thinking and logical answers to problems will be more than surprised when they go through all the teaching modules," she said. "We made this project a reflection of life."

Linda Siktberg, Ball State's director of nursing, says the technology allows students to learn more about their cases in a variety of ways. They can study family relationships and neighborhood environments or communicate with instructors and classmates ─ all in the same online environment.

The Center for Media Design

The Center for Media Design is an R&D facility focused on the creation, testing and practical application of digital technologies and content for business, classroom, home and community. The center is part of Ball State's iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Smith at (765) 285-8756, (765) 285-0123 or rsmith@bsu.edu.)