Presenting the past: Museums and Heritage

Module overview

In this module we will examine how knowledge about the past is presented in museum exhibition and display. We will look at current practices in exhibition design and discuss the contemporary literature on communicating heritage to a range of audiences. You will then work in groups and present an oral presentation prior to completion of an exhibition proposal on a subject or theme relating to archaeology and heritage.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

develop your time management skills
develop your verbal presentation skills
work as part of a team, where each team member makes a different contribution

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

the problems of interpretation and presentation when communicating archaeology to non- professional audiences
the impact of museum exhibitions on the construction of knowledge
the power and importance of material culture in communicating ideas about cultures past and present

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

prepare exhibition design proposals for a non-professional audiences

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include: - short lectures to outline the conceptual framework and background to the subject - group seminars to explore specific issues in the presentation of heritage and to help consolidate your knowledge - museum visit to see real world examples of heritage presentation and provide field data for group work Learning activities include: - practical sessions working with artefacts - Preparation and performance of oral presentation - Participation in seminars - Presentation of updates on group work

Study time
Type	Hours
Completion of assessment task	80
Lecture	16
Seminar	8
Preparation for scheduled sessions	38
Fieldwork	8
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Swain, H. (2009). An Introduction to Museum Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kreps, C.F (2003). Liberating culture: cross-cultural perspectives on museums, curation, and heritage preservation. London: Routledge.

Sandell, R. (ed.) (2002). Museums, Society, Inequality. London: Routledge.

Dean, D. (1997). Museum Exhibition. Theory and practice. London: Routledge.

Lord, B and G. Lord. (eds) (2002). The Manual of Museum Exhibitions. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.

Ambrose, T. and C. Paine (2012). Museum Basics.. London: Routledge.

Moser, S. (2006). Wondrous Curiosities. Ancient Egypt at the British Museum. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Falk, J.H. & L. Dierking (2000). Learning from Museums. Walnut Creek CA: Altamira Press.

Parry, R. (2010). Museums in a Digital Age. London: Routledge.

Marstine, J. (ed.) (2006). New Museum Theory and Practice. Oxford: Blackwell.

Assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Group presentation

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback:
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: Yes

Project plan

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback:
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Group project report	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal