Global Pedagogies: 2nd Workshop
Nov 20, 2018
On November 20th, 2018 the Centre of Transnational Analysis (CTCA) hosted it’s second Global Pedagogies Workshop on Rethinking (art) history and its historiographic frameworks to a packed boardroom of students and faculty from ICSLAC and Art History. The workshop was jointly organized by Dr. Birgit Hopfener and Dr. Morgan Currie with the intention of thinking through how to restructure current art history survey courses through transcultural and transnational historiographies. The discussion was led by architect Susan Ross (School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies) and Dr. Dominique Marshall (Department of History) who each brought to the table unique teaching strategies and perspectives.
Susan Ross presented a talk on “Teaching the History of Canadian Heritage Practice as part of International Conservation Associations” which reflected on her experiences teaching courses in Heritage Conservation for the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies. Ross’ teaching strategy involves emphasizing the history of the professionalization of heritage conservation at the global and local levels. Students learn about ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) and other organizations that work for the conservation and preservation of heritage sites around the world. Ross also introduces students to key figures in Canadian heritage conservation and their involvement abroad and how they translated this international knowledge to the local context. There are a natural flow and conversation between discussions of the global and local. Students are also asked to position themselves by reading journal articles and attending/reporting on local, national, and international conferences.
Dr. Dominique Marshall, current Chair of the Department of History, discussed her experiences in “Teaching Transnational History”. Topics of her previous courses include Humanitarian Aid (very transnational in context), Canadian historiography (which has taken a transnational turn), and Quebec history (which is also shifting towards transnational approaches). Marshall emphasizes the use of archives as material, maps, biographies, case studies, and international collaboration. Having established a wide global network, Marshall organized a course in tandem with a colleague from Berlin. For one month students in Ottawa, Canada and students in Berlin, Germany participated in a virtual classroom and worked together on a project. This collaboration fostered a unique International classroom experience. Marshall spoke of minor technical challenges but overall felt that the learning experience was highly valuable for the students.
Art History education is deeply rooted in the Modern Western canon and has had trouble moving towards transnational and global teaching methodologies. The conversations fostered by Susan Ross and Dr. Dominique Marshall at the workshop provided alternative teaching avenues and approaches for further consideration.
| Susan Ross |
| Dominique Marshall |
Report by: Kelsey Perreault
PhD Student, ICSLAC (Visual Culture)