Program Overview

Workplace Learning (Theme: The Roles of Design, Installation, and Outreach in Developing Exhibitions) (HIST*3480)

Course Details

• Course code: HIST*3480
• Section: 02
• Course term: Winter 2023
• Course instructor: Melissa McAfee

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered Face-to-Face.

Weekly Course Format

1 * 2hr 40 min

Course Synopsis

Archival & Special Collections' distinguished and extensive holdings of rare books and manuscripts on the Jacobites will be the subject of an exhibition, which will be launched in March 2023. The Jacobites were supporters of the exiled James II (King of England, Scotland, and Ireland) and his descendants in their attempts to restore the Stuart monarchy.

The exhibition will be installed in the Exhibition Gallery on the second floor of McLaughlin Library during the Winter 2023 term. Students in this workplace learning course will participate in the process of fabricating, installing, designing, promoting, and organizing the launch of the exhibition, which was developed by student curators in Dr. Kevin James' HIST 3560 experiential learning course during the Fall 2022 term. Students will also create an online exhibition based on the contents of the physical exhibition. The online exhibition will include an additional section created by the students in this class on the materiality of selected resources in the exhibition.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will acquire:

1. skills and knowledge on the fabrication, installation, and design of a physical exhibition of rare books and manuscripts
2. knowledge of professional standards for preservation, handling, and using rare books and manuscripts
3. knowledge of the materiality, rarity, and value of the Jacobite Collection
4. skills and knowledge on the creation of an online exhibition
5. knowledge of how to promote and launch an exhibition
6. knowledge of project management; collaboration with peers, academics, and others; and time management

Methods of Evaluation and Weights

• 35%: Class participation and reflective essays
• 25%: Fabrication, installation, design, and promotion of the physical exhibition
• 25%: Online Exhibition Project
• 15%: Written analysis of the materiality, rarity, and value of one resource in the exhibition

Texts and/or Resources Required

None. All readings will be provided on the syllabus and/or through CourseLink.

Departments and Schools

The course is associated with the following departments and schools:

• School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing
• School of Fine Art and Music
• School of Languages and Literatures
• Department of History
• Department of Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Programs

Centres, Institutes, and Labs

The course may involve collaboration with or resources from the following centres, institutes, and labs:

• Centre for Scottish Studies
• Grounded and Engaged Theory Lab (GET)
• Interdisciplinary Design Lab
• The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation
• The Humanities Interdisciplinary Collaboration Lab (THINC)
• The School of Fine Art & Music Print Study Collection