Aims

The aim of this practice-based module is to provide students with the opportunity to work both in teams and individually on designing and delivering a project in collaboration with a heritage/museum public venue. The module aims to assist students to becoming better equipped to develop their personal professional portfolios for career advancement.

Outline Of Syllabus

This practice-based module allows students in small teams to work on heritage-based projects designed through discussions with academic staff, staff at the Great North Museum, and other appropriate heritage sector professionals. Projects may take place either in a physical or online environment (or a combination of both) and may include, for example: heritage management provision; developing a communications and interpretation strategy; designing interpretation and producing an interpretation brief and; designing a learning programme with supporting materials. The module provides students with opportunities for gaining practice-based team-work experiences, which will benefit them in terms of employability in the heritage and associated sectors after completion. During the module, students will be expected to use theoretical ideas to enrich their practice, and vice versa, and to reflect on the learning experiences and acquisition of knowledge and skills, which they can then use to shape their future career aspirations.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students will experience scheduled learning and teaching activities, however, the majority of their learning on this module comes from guided interdependent study. The scheduled time is mixed between one-hour lectures on Heritage curatorship, and two-hour workshops and three-hour practicals, where students will work in small groups on a Heritage project. This balance between theory and practical sessions will allow students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to make the transition from being students to becoming better equipped to develop their personal professional portfolios for career advancement


Module talk: This teaching method will be used to introduce the module and brief students about assessment.

Drop-in/surgery: This teaching method will be used to support students in working towards the assignment.

Lecture materials: This will include online content and activities to achieve all of the knowledge learning outcomes.

Small group teaching: This teaching method is intended to allow students to consolidate knowledge learning outcomes and to meet the skills outcomes through critically applying their new knowledge. It also allows students to practice all of the skillsets within the Graduate Skills Framework.

Structured non-synchronous discussion: This method will be used to provide a support mechanism during the development of the project and to enable iterative practice and feedback.

Practical: This is used to support knowledge and skills outcomes associated with creating a public intervention in a museum context (this can be on-line, on-site, or a combination of both).

Drop-in/surgery: This method allows students to receive clarifications on questions they may have about the assignment.

Project work: This is used to support the development and completion of the project assignment and will involve individual and group based independent study.

Independent study: This teaching method enables students to independently deepen knowledge outcomes and to practise all skills outcomes, as well as applying cognitive/intellectual, self-management skills in particular through reading, engaging with materials and resources.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The module is designed to allow students, working in one or more teams to complete small-scale iterative interpretive, learning and audience engagement projects relevant to the Heritage sector. The project is normally developed in collaboration with a public heritage venue.

Formative assessment - each student is encouraged to keep a journal detailing their contribution to the group project and progress throughout the module. There are also multiple opportunities for the students to give peer feedback during the project process. Formative feedback will also be provided through structured non-synchronous discussion and small-group teaching by academic and professional staff.

The final summative module assessment is divided between a group-mark for the outcomes of the team’s Heritage project (30%), along with the submission of an individual report (70%).