Based on Reading: Willcocks, J. and Mahon, K. (2023). The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and design higher education. art, design & communication in higher education, 22(2), pp.187-207.
I picked up this reading in the weeks leading up to my micro-teaching session and after the great talk we were given by Judy Willcocks & Georgina Orgill. Although the reading looks specifically at an online/digital context, it still helped frame a lot of my thinking for my session (I will expand on this in my microteaching reflection), and further enhanced my general understanding of object-based learning, its use-cases, potential benefits and challenges.
The first thing that was immediate to me based on the experiences of the students and educators involved and reflecting further, was that there is a performative nature to objects. We interface with objects through a combination of sense including sight, sound, touch and even smell. This makes the whole experience more interactive and contributes to the performative characteristics inherent within an object and an object interaction. I had never considered things under this specific lens before and it helped to contextualise an area of my teaching practice that I didn’t know lacked a deeper context.
The next thing that stood out was the position of the object as an entry-point for a much more nuanced conversation around environmental justice, colonialism and exploitation. This made me think further about the idea of the object and what it embodies. It became apparent quite quickly that the thing we’re referring to here is ‘intersectionality’ (Willcocks & Mahon, 2023). The object is a vessel for intersectional conversations around its provenance, cultural context, material history and origin, amongst several other things. The idea of the object can open up conversations through a very organic process of association. It’s such a great way for students to learn the value of objects, by actively seeking to reveal their hidden meanings. In my course on BA Graphic and Media Design, we run a project called ‘Personal Objects of Provenance’ in Year 1. Students bring in an object of their choice that in some way informs who they are and/or contributes to an understanding of their life story. We then get the students to present, represent and dissect the meaning behind their objects through a variety of lenses. It’s been a great way to introduce the students to the principles of Curation, Exhibition, Narrative, Graphic and Media, to name a few. This activity has existed since before my time on the course and therefore, I do not take credit for its existence. However, I hope to take this learning and feed it back to how I will help deliver it with even more intentionality in the next iteration.
Going back to this idea of revealing hidden meanings, I am also currently working on and delivering another brief called ‘Reveal’ for the second half of Year 1, that builds on the ‘Personal Objects of Provenance’ project. It invites students to engage with material culture and historical context beyond the object’s surface qualities and personal provenance; perhaps a great area to be further applying some of these learnings around ‘intersectionality’. I really want the students to understand the concept/idea behind an object; that is often representative of much larger forces moving the world.
Reference:
- Willcocks, J. and Mahon, K. (2023). The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and design higher education. art, design & communication in higher education, 22(2), pp.187-207.