This five-day intensive course (with pre- and post-course activity) will introduce students to the historical, political, legal and cultural issues associated with dress through museum learning. Dress in collections of museums and heritage spaces is used at one end of the spectrum, and, at the other end, as a vehicle for learning through role playing. This course uses Giroux’s ‘critical pedagogy’ as a framework to examine working between cultural studies and educational theories. It interrogates institutional and cultural forms of encoding regulations of dress practices in Australia and explores how knowledge is always concerned with relationships between power, language, imagery, social relations and ethics through dress. As well, it also includes the use of role-playing theories employed by educationalists to illustrate historical narratives through dress.

In taking advantage of the location of the ANU in Canberra, this cross-disciplinary course utilizes objects and artworks from the national cultural and legal/judicial institutions in Canberra as a departure point to explore these intersections. The museum learning focus is object-centred learning theories in museums as objects effectively ground abstract experiences, such as power.

The catalyst for each of the five-day’s activities, is the examination of objects and artworks with the convenor and education staff from various collecting institutions within Canberra. The afternoon workshops and seminars will be co-ordinated by the course convenor and will be supplemented by other ANU staff and specialists.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

1. articulate and analyse object-centred learning and role-playing theories in the museum context in online discussions, class presentations and other assessment items
2. develop reflective skills from the observation of objects and artwork
3. make links and analyze how dress structures the ways of being and thinking between morality, religion, politics, philosophy, gender and history through museums and collecting agencies. 
4. demonstrate the ability to translate and communicate theoretical concepts into creative and innovative responses through writing, podcasts, film, role-playing etc

• Contribute of 2000 words to online discussions prior to intensive (15%) [LO 1, 2]
• reflective journal (15%) [LO 2]
• Short oral presentation at intensive on an object (from personal resource) using object-centred learning skills (10%) [LO1, 3, 4].
• Contribute 1000 words to online discussions post intensive (15%) [LO1,2]
• Final assessment proposal of 500 words posted online(5%) for peer assessment [LO 3, 4]
• 3000 word essay (or equivalent film, audio, etc) due one month after course (40%) [LO 4]

This six unit course has a total workload of 120 hours. The pre-intensive activities requires 20 hours over 4 weeks (1 hour online discussion and 4 hours independent reading/research); the five day intensive is 35 hours contact with 5 hours of that week non-contact reflective writing (40 hours); and the final 4 weeks up to assessment submission 60 hours (1 hour weekly online discussion, plus discussion of peer assessment of proposals, research and writing).

None

Word-processing skills and online research skills

Completion of Understanding Learning in Museums and Heritage MUSC8012, ARTV2055 Costume, Fashion and Visual Culture or ARTH6504 Art of Portraiture.

Hooper-Greenhill, Eilean (2009) The Educational Role of the Museum London: Routledge

Walsh, JA (2005) Quality questioning: research based practice to engage every learner Thousand Oaks: California

Taylor, Lou (2004) Establishing Dress History Manchester: Manchester University Press

Craik, Jennifer (2009) Fashion: The Key Concepts Oxford and New York: Berg

Access to broadband Internet