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HIST46615: Things That Matter: Material and Culture in/for the Digital Age

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Open
Level 4
Credits 15
Availability Available in 2023/24
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department History

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • NONE. Note however it is recommended that this 15-credit module be taken with another of the same weighting, to create a 30-credit bundle. **Other 15-credit modules are in preparation.

Aims

  • To develop students understanding of the study of material culture in the digital age, through engagement with specialists, artefacts and their own peers.
  • To develop students understanding of digitisation, Public History, curation and archival priorities, and the objects of the research collections in their own and other institutions.
  • To develop students ability to work not only in a lecture or seminar format and independently, but also in a virtual learning environment, and as part of a team.
  • To develop students critical engagement with the wider literature on material culture and its relevance to their own chosen field of research.

Content

  • Recent advances in digital technology have created new modes of reproduction and forms of consumption that have substantially reshaped the concepts of object and collection in cultural institutions such as libraries and museums. This module, consisting of a week-long summer school hosted in rotation at Durham, Uppsala or Groningen, preceded by a preparatory six-week International classroom delivered online to students at their home institution, addresses key questions arising from the study of the past in the digital age. These questions relate to the changing nature of objects as source materials (such as books or scientific instruments), the history and practice of collections and collecting, and digitization and its challenges, both practical and intellectual. In the process, the module engages with the role of objects in Public History.
  • The module runs in two parts. First, an online course running for six weeks with student-led seminars, discussion groups and structured readings. In this part of the module, students carry out critical reading, design a virtual collection of materials based on their home institutions collections (dry swim), and complete a creative writing and reflection task on the itinerary of a single object. The week-long summer school rotates between the three participating institutions, and draws on the teaching and library/museum resources of the host institution. Students are required to devote study time both before and after the summer schools programmed activitires to produce formative and summative work, including a short paper, an essay and a SWOT analysis. All work (online class and summer school) is assessed by the host institutions academic staff, and the assessment falls within the scope of the host institutions relevant exam board.
  • The summer school and online course will be running for its third consecutive year in 2019-20 (at Durham; 2018-19 was Groningen, 2017-18 was Uppsala). Both elements of this single module must be taken together and cannot be taken separately. They are already accredited at Groningen as part of that institutions masters programme. (at a total of 7.5 ECTS, that is to say, 15-credits UK: 5UK credits for the online course, 10 for the summer school). No fees are charged to students from participating institutions.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to attain:
  • Advanced knowledge and understanding of the study of material culture, curation and the relevance of both to Public History
  • Advanced knowledge and understanding of the key elements of project design and development in the field of material culture
  • An advanced understanding of the relevance of digitization, ethics and priorities within the library/museum sector

Subject-specific Skills:

  • By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to acquire:
  • The ability to research and assess object itineraries
  • The ability to evaluate processes of collecting, curation and display in the digital age
  • The ability to integrate methods and concepts of material culture in a wider research context

Key Skills:

  • By the end of this module, students should / will / are expected to acquire:
  • The ability to communicate complex information and argument in a clear and ordered manner, both verbally and in writing
  • The ability to work independently and to take responsibility for ones own learning through planning and reflexion, and to work with others
  • The ability to understand and explain the value of material culture to society
  • The ability to demonstrate the skills necessary in original research

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Student learning is facilitated by a range of teaching and assessment methods, including a significant amount of directed reading and preparation. The online module is delivered through six weekly student-led seminars delivered online and coordinated by the Durham lead, who attends the sessions. Students complete a critical reading assignment (week 2); work in small teams under the project leaders supervision to produce a virtual collection (weeks 3-6) based on their own institutions materials; and complete a 2000-word itinerary of an object. Each component is summatively assessed (30%, 40%, 30%). The Summer school consists of one week of thirty contact hours consisting of lectures, hands-on sessions in the host institutions collections with academic and curatorial staff, and educational excursions. In addition to the formative work of reading and digesting the reading for each component, students complete three summative exercises: on arrival, presentation of their own research design or research in progress (750-1000 words, 16.5%); following the summer school, one 3000-word essay critically discussing the summer schools themes in relation to their own research (65%); following the summer school, a SWOT analysis reflecting on the learning experience (750-1000 words, 16.5%).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
a) Online Module 
Seminars6Every Week2 Hours12 
Small team supervision2Every 2 Weeks30 Minutes1 
Prep time for contact hours12 
Prep time for assessments25 
Student preparation & reading time50 
 
b) Summer School 
Seminars/workshops20Every day1 Hour20 
Excursions5Every day2 Hours10 
Prep time for contact hours20 
Prep time for assessments50 
Total100 
Total SLAT hours150 

Summative Assessment

Component: PortfolioComponent Weighting: 35%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Commentary800 words40Y
Essay (Itinerary of an Object)1200 words60Y
Component: Summer School ProjectComponent Weighting: 65%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Project Proposal500 words20N
Essay3000 words60Y
SWOT analysis500 words20N

Formative Assessment

(a) Online module: Virtual collection: Students of each of the three partner universities design a virtual collection of materials specific to the host Library/University Museum which they present to the students of the other partner universities. Feedback to students will be provided during the online session. (b) Summer School: Students present their own research in progress or research design accompanied by a paper of 500 words (summatively assessed).

More information

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