(picture 1)
Plan
Being a collector of old cameras I thought that these objects could be an interesting focus point to the OBL microteaching session. After considering the text ‘Innovative Pedagogies Series: Wow: The Power of Objects in Object Based Learning and Teaching’ by Dr Kirsten Hardy (2015), I decided to apply some of the delivery designs discussed into my session. This key quote provides an outline to the objectives of the activity:
“Interpretation is the process for constructing meaning. Interpretation is part of the process of understanding”
(Hooper-Greenhill, 1999)
Structure
The cameras brought to class differed in age, ranging from 1914-1995, all analogue film but one a Polaroid, ranging in uses from personal to professional. As teaching resources, I provided a questionnaire and coloured paper that served as ‘plinth’ to each camera relating to the colours on the form. (See picture 1 and figure 2)
(figure 1)
Objectives
Encouraging observational skills: Students to analyse objects on a personal level/group discussion/interaction. ‘Reflection in action’ (Schon, 1983).
Encouraging visual literacy: Researching the objects’ values, design/function, cultural/historical but also (current) monetary worth.
Encouraging research skills: students were asked to answer these key questions on provided form and present their findings in an informal setting.
Encouraging learning by a tactile approach. Students were encouraged to handle each object to better answer questions and inform personal preferences. ‘Reflection in action’ (Schon, 1983).
Encouraging subjective responses: The last exercise would ask them their preferred camera overall, engaging their tacit knowledge and cultivating their subjective taste and reflection, as to analyse why we might attribute value to specific objects.
Through the on-the-go research activity, I aimed to open discussions on the above, hoping to result in a student-centred learning approach:
‘A student-centred approach to learning encourages students to have more responsibility for their learning and is a process that relies heavily on professional confidence to ‘let-go’ of traditional teaching responsibilities.’
(McCabe & O‘Connor, 2014)
Review
The objects did provide the ‘Wow’ (Hardy, 2015) factor I had planned and perhaps a sense of time-travel for the participants. The colour-coded resources and questionnaire were clear and provided ample opportunity for discussion prompts. I did realise that the 20-minute timeframe was possibly a bit short for the research activity and presentation, so I prioritised the informal discussion being mindful of ‘letting go’ and providing space for a more ‘organic’ approach to the topics that were discussed, not stepping into a ‘leading’ position.
Feedback
A participant mentioned that it could have been interesting to develop the session further by providing photographs that each camera could produce. A pairing exercise of cameras and photos could have been productive, further revealing the cultural and social heritage.
Reflection
Sara Ahmed’s ‘What’s the Use?’ (Ahmed, 2019) piece on the use of objects provided further possibilities to develop the session. The piece speaks of the biography of things and how objects use can be seen as a recorder or even a trace itself. Such reflections as well as those concerning when and how and object becomes obsolete could have provided a broader contextual backdrop to an introduction to this session.
Lastly, the object linkage between the actual function being a visual recorder, but also in its biographical sense being a recorder of time, could provide an additional intriguing paradox for the students to draw upon.
References
Hardie, K. (2015) ‘Innovative pedagogies series: Wow: The power of objects in object-based learning and teaching’ pp. 4-20. HEA Report
Hooper-Greenhill, E. (1999) ‘The educational role of museum’ (2nd ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.
Schön, D. A. (1983) ‘The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action’ London: Temple Smith.
McCabe, A. & O‘Connor, U. (2014) ‘Student-centred learning: the role and responsibility of the lecturer’ Teaching in Higher Education, 19 (4) 350-9. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13562517.2013.860111
Ahmed, S. (2019) ‘What’s the Use? : On the Uses of Use’ Duke University Press. ProQuest Ebook Central