In this project, students engage with hybrid museum assignments that combine in-person and online experiences. These assignments, developed during remote instruction, offer inclusive alternatives for History of Art students, allowing them to explore global collections virtually when in-person visits are not possible.Author: Ivy Mills, Lecturer in History of ArtGrant Type: Lecturer Teaching Fellows Program (LTF) |
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From the author: "Museum visits and the in-person examination of objects from various collections are integral to History of Art instruction, at all levels. When the pandemic struck and we switched to remote instruction, we scrambled to find remote/online alternatives to scheduled museum visits that would be of comparable pedagogical value. Since March 2020, many museums have developed new online materials and virtual experiences that are more engaging than the simple viewing of 2-D images of objects. As a Lecturer Teaching Fellow, I have been developing models for hybrid museum assignments that I am beta testing in my courses on African arts, but that will also be of use to all instructors who assign museum visits in the History of Art Department and other departments across campus. My project identifies new online/remote museum resources, devises ways to link in-person visits to remote/online experiences, and develops engaging all-remote alternatives to in-person experiences. These resources will be especially helpful if we have to revert to remote instruction in the event of a serious outbreak or extreme weather. They make the in-person History of Art classroom more inclusive and accessible, as students who find themselves unable to visit museums in person can complete an alternate assignment that provides an equally rich learning experience. They also enable the entire class - whether the instruction is in-person or remote - to explore collections outside the Bay Area we couldn’t normally visit."