Behind the scenes at the museum

1. Behind the scenes at the museum An account of a cross-faculty employer-based project Rose Spilberg Department of Computing Pam Locker Design for Exhibition & Museums University of Lincoln

2. In a nutshell • students from two different faculties, on very different courses • BA Design for Exhibition and Museums • BSc Web Technology, BSc Multimedia Technology • worked on employer-based projects with a real client • supported by a small project fund • here we give a report of this experience HEA Conference 2009

3. In this account • background and initiation of the project • detail of the work undertaken • constraints, issues and problems • student evaluation • what we have learned • our conclusions HEA Conference 2009

4. Origin of the project • FED bids invited • internal funds for teaching innovation • Fund for Educational Development • from Centre for Educational Research & Development (CERD) • small bids (max £5000) invited • chatting over lunch • Pam, Design for Exhibition & Museums (AAD) • Rose, Creative Technology courses (MHT) • initial project proposed (and accepted) HEA Conference 2009

5. Our objective • To provide a cross-faculty cross-disciplinary experience, with work focused on a real client. • applied & vocationally-oriented courses • students need experience of group work • cross-disciplinary teams • communication & transferable skill • employer engagement • faculties and departments make this difficult • self-contained, separate, different cultures • different patterns, teaching models, assessment methods HEA Conference 2009

6. The final project • finalising the proposal • Manchester Jewish Museum • seeking input for redesign and updating • keen to provide context for student projects HEA Conference 2009

7. The museum projects • a former synagogue • Grade II listed building • 1874 • a social history museum since 1984 • the Ladies’ Gallery • National Centre for Tolerance proposal • outreach via the web-site • up-dating of displays HEA Conference 2009

8. The project work • DEM students • new design proposals for the museum gallery • BSc students • Web Technology • museum web-site redesign • Multimedia Technology • a multimedia interactive artefact for the museum HEA Conference 2009

9. Implementation issues (1) – locating the project • curriculum vehicle for the museum project • need to fit into degree programmes • additional work on top of required assessments not acceptable • staffing resource only available through course unit staffing • DEM integrated across several different units • Technology courses did the work under the unit ‘Level 2 group project’ (done by all) • assessment 20% of year for both HEA Conference 2009

10. DEM course: 2nd-year cohort 12 primed and planning from May-June 08 project work woven into 2nd-year curriculum in blocks work started at week 1 Technology courses: 2nd-year cohort 160 all allocated to project groups two groups selected (volunteered) for museum project selection only possible at/after weeks 2-4 project work only one strand of five units being worked on throughout Implementation issues (2) – timetable HEA Conference 2009

11. Making the collaborative space • joint meetings, visits and socials • to MJM • to other museums in London, Amsterdam • shared communications • joint visits from MJM curator and manager HEA Conference 2009

12. Implementation issues (3) – day-to-day & timing issues • Visits • DEM students visited MJM and Amsterdam before Tech groups existed • Joint visits to London, Manchester – Tech students had to manage competing requirements and deadlines HEA Conference 2009

13. Implementation issues (4) • extra commitment & motivation demanded • from all • but particularly for Tech groups • client project requirements were over & above unit assessment tasks • two sets of objectives and requirements to meet • rewards were great, but even so ... HEA Conference 2009

14. Project outcomes – exhibited 1st June • DEM students • a range of plans and designs for the re-vamped gallery • Web Technology • prototype new web site design, incorporating interactivity, feed-back and updated technologies HEA Conference 2009

15. Exhibition 1st June • Multimedia Technology • interactive map – implemented and being tested HEA Conference 2009

16. Student evaluation • questionnaire at end of project • seeking views about • cross-faculty collaboration aspects of the project • employer-based live client aspects of the project • administered at final group meeting/lunch • respondents only 11 (out of 21) • 8 DEM, 3 Tech HEA Conference 2009

17. Cross-faculty collaboration (1) • all respondents felt they worked well within their individual project teams We worked well with weekly or fortnightly meetings and also designated work. Collaborated more as a group than previous projects HEA Conference 2009

18. Cross-faculty collaboration (2) • they didn’t feel the cross-faculty collaboration worked all that well Worked well but more contact with other course might have helped. There could have been more scheduled meeting times, although this was probably hard as DEM worked on it for three weeks, in DCI it was the year Although we have made friends in another course, we have never actually worked together. HEA Conference 2009

19. Employer aspects • Students enjoyed and valued the live client nature of the project The ability to work with a live client was fantastic. What more could a creative student ask for?! The staff at MJM were also so accommodating. There was a live client with their own opinions, their own expectations, their real issues/problems that need to be solved. There was more pressure to get things right because it was real life. HEA Conference 2009

20. What we found – employer engagement • highly desirable • highly valued by students • ‘live’ project increased commitment, motivation, interest, determination • imposes additional problems and constraints • waiting for client response • employer’s own constraints • technology platform • client base HEA Conference 2009

21. Employer engagement requires • major commitment from employer • time • input • broad support from organisation plus • scheme champion • with appropriate level of power/control • prepared for some expenditure • understanding of/sympathy with educational objectives HEA Conference 2009

22. Cross-institutional collaboration • much harder than employer engagement • students really wanted more • interdisciplinary project teams • very difficult to mix • course designs and teaching models, course rhythms and calendars, assessments • funding was key • group visits, off-site meetings • students wanted more HEA Conference 2009

23. Conclusions • successful project • met our objectives in terms of project-based work and employer engagement • less successful in cross-institutional terms • but • relied on availability of special funding • difficult to see how to take this forward into mainstream given current constraints within normal working arrangements HEA Conference 2009

24. Funding (£5000) • travel • visits to Manchester, London, Amsterdam • other spending • some materials purchase • some catering • staff time • impossible to fund HEA Conference 2009

25. The last word • from student feed-back, on the project work: felt more real – cared about it more HEA Conference 2009