Aims

The aim of this module is to provide students with the opportunity to explore theoretical ideas and practice around working with museum objects, using archival content in museum work and engaging with communities, working with objects from the Great North Museum: Hancock in collaboration with the Museum.

Outline Of Syllabus

This practice-based module is delivered collaboratively with the Great North Museum: Hancock. It allows students to work in teams on museum-based curatorial projects designed through discussions with academic staff and museum practitioners in GNM:H. Projects may take place either in a physical or online environment (or a combination of both) and may include, for example: designing and installing an exhibition; designing and delivering a learning programme with supporting materials; designing and delivering a public intervention or an audience participatory event; creating a film/podcast or other curatorial outputs. The module provides students with opportunities to gain practice-based teamwork experience as well as interpretive, curatorial and audience engagement skills appropriate to the museum sector. During the module, students will be expected to use theoretical ideas to enrich their practice, and vice-versa, and to reflect on their learning experiences.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students will experience scheduled learning and teaching activities; however, the majority of their learning on this module comes from guided interdependent small-group study. The scheduled time is a combination of interactive lecture material on museum curatorial practices, regular small-group workshop sessions and practical sessions, where students will work in small groups on a museum project. This balance between theory and practical sessions will allow students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to make the transition from being students to becoming better equipped to develop their personal professional portfolios for a career foundation and/or career advancement.

Module talk: This teaching method will be used to introduce the module and brief students about assessment.

Lecture materials: This will include online content and activities to achieve all of the knowledge learning outcomes.

Small-group teaching: This teaching method is intended to allow students to consolidate knowledge learning outcomes and to meet the skills outcomes through critically applying their new knowledge. It also allows students to practice all of the skill-sets within the Graduate Skills Framework. A portion of the small-group teaching sessions will normally be delivered through a Crit format.

Practical: This is used to support knowledge and skills outcomes associated with creating a public intervention in a museum context (this can be online, on-site, or a combination of both).

Drop-in/surgery: This method allows students to receive clarifications on project tasks/activities in smaller task-oriented sub-teams in order to progress with their group assignment.

Project work: This is used to support the development and completion of the project assignment and will involve individual and group-based independent study.

Independent study: This teaching method enables students to independently deepen knowledge outcomes and to practice all skills outcomes, as well as applying cognitive/intellectual and self-management skills in particular through reading and through engaging with materials and resources.

Structured research and reading activities: This teaching method will allow students to engage with preparatory reading and tasks related to the small-group teaching sessions.

Fieldwork: on-site activity (or virtual if required) to engage with a case study site that complements and relates to other teaching methods and helps students to achieve knowledge learning outcomes.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The module is designed to allow students, working in one or more teams, to complete small-scale interpretive, curatorial and audience engagement projects relevant to the museums sector. The project is normally developed in collaboration with a public cultural venue.

The final summative module assessment is divided between an individual annotated portfolio that critically discusses the project process/product (70%), along with the submission of an individual reflective report on the personal/professional learning developed during the practice-based component of the module (30%).

Formative assessment: there are multiple opportunities for the students to give and receive feedback during the project process. Formative feedback will be provided through small-group teaching by academic staff and GNM:H practitioners.