Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Theoretical Foundations For Archaeological Pedagogy With Digital 3d, Virtual, Augmented, And Mixed Reality Technologies, Peter J. Cobb, Elvan Cobb, Jiafang Liang, Ryushi Kiyama, Jeremy Ng

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology is inherently a visual and spatial discipline and thus we should strive to center student learning within visual and spatial media. Apart from museum work, site visits, and fieldtrips, the traditional tools of the classroom, however, tend to only convey textual or two-dimensional abstractions of primary archaeological data. The latest digital 3D and eXtended Reality (XR) technologies (Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed) hold the potential for engagement with information in ways that more closely represent the true three-dimensional and visual nature of archaeological objects, spaces, and landscapes. This should allow for an embodied mode of interaction that significantly improves understandings …

Learning From The Land: The Application Of Archaeology And Land-Based Learning As An Experiential Learning Tool For Building Intercultural Competency, Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, Kelsey Pennanen, Kristal Turner, Patricia Campos Díaz, Vivian Ayoungman

Journal of Archaeology and Education

The written nature of Western society and oral basis of Indigenous society present a key difference in the way we approach the world (Duarte and Belarde-Lewis 2015; Kovach 2021; Scully 2012). Within an Indigenous ontology, there is an inseparable relationship between story and knowing and a holistic nature to this knowledge (Kovach 2021). Stories become a valuable tool for teaching and learning, which can also be used in other areas where value is placed on contextualized knowledge. Through the inclusion of Siksika (Blackfoot) Elders in our archaeology field school on the Siksika Nation, we attempt to present culturally appropriate curricula …

Beyond 2020: How General Education Archaeology Curricula Should Adapt To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexis T. Boutin, C. Midori Longo, Victoria R. Calvin

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology often justifies its existence by invoking the trope that we must learn about the past in order to create a better future. The COVID-19 pandemic is itself an event that will enter the historical record. Thus, the universality of this public health crisis is a unique opportunity to assess the relevance of university-level archaeology curricula to our present historical moment. We studied an upper division general education course on the archaeology of complex societies at a public liberal arts college in California. The instrument of data collection was a questionnaire administered at the end of the Fall 2020, Spring …

Tour De Fort: Creating And Evaluating Guided Archaeology Tours, Laura K. Clark Hunt, Mike Thomin

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Since 2011, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) Coordinating Center office in Pensacola, Florida has partnered with the National Park Service staff at Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS) to develop and implement a public program called Tour de Fort. This guided bicycling tour was created by FPAN with the goal to promote the public appreciation for the many terrestrial and underwater archaeological resources located within the GUIS Fort Pickens Area. Tour de Fort has remained a popular and well attended program over the years. Based on public demand, other guided tours were developed using Tour de Fort as a …

Ancient Cities: Teaching And Learning In The Digital Age, Stefan Feuser, Francis Brouns, Michael Blömer, Alain Duplouy, Simon Malmberg, Stephanie Merten, Christina Videbech, Alessia Zambon, Mantha Zarmakoupi

Journal of Archaeology and Education

In this paper we present an overview of the Ancient Cities project’s outcomes and experiences with producing and testing digital educational material in the field of archaeology. In the first part, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Discovering Greek & Roman Cities is introduced with respect to its target audiences and learning objectives, the ways in which it was disseminated to the target audiences, and how its structure and learning material were developed. Based on several questionnaires answered by the participants and user data from the MOOC platform itself, we were able to collect comprehensive information on the demography of …

Assessing Knowledge Mobilization And Retention In Teaching Archaeological Theory, George Nicholas, Chris Springer, Chelsea H. Meloche, Laure Spake

Journal of Archaeology and Education

How are difficult and often unfamiliar concepts best taught in the classroom in ways that the information conveyed is retained? This study discusses the challenge faced in teaching an intensive, undergraduate Archaeological Theory that is regularly taught at Simon Fraser University. A survey of enrolled students was designed and twice administered to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching methods and student learning practices. The results of the survey, plus other sources of information, provide an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of information transmission and retention in the classroom.

Preparing Undergraduate Students For Compliance Work?, Karin Larkin, Michelle Slaughter

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Anecdotal stories by professionals working in the heritage management industry, specifically Cultural Resource Management (CRM), describe feeling unprepared for the work upon graduating with an undergraduate anthropology degree. Likewise, recent graduates complain that they are unqualified for posted CRM jobs even though many hope to enter the field upon graduation. This anecdotal information raises questions about whether undergraduate academic training adequately prepares students for compliance archaeology. Although anecdotes suggest the academy could do a better job at preparing undergraduate students for compliance work, few resources exist to evaluate these claims. To further complicate the issue, some academics rightly question whether …

Creating A Virtual Ethnographic Field School In An Off-Line Community Of Practice, Patrick Plattet, Robin Shoaps

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This paper describes the creation of an asynchronous on-line ethnographic field school experience for lower division undergraduate students. Our Virtual Field School course offers a field school experience that accommodates the unique make-up of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (where fifty-five percent of undergraduates are “nontraditional” students). Typical ethnographic field schools demand that students can spend four to six weeks in an international fieldsite. Alaska’s geographic remoteness makes travel abroad prohibitively expensive for many students. Pedagogical and technological concerns are outlined, including the utilization of the SELIN distance delivery platform, coupled with Blackboard Learn. SELIN was created by anthropologists at …

Remote Research As Authentic Learning Online, David Pacifico

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This article reports on a pilot effort to use ArcGIS Online to create a decentralized archaeological mapping lab for digitizing and analyzing archaeological materials visible in satellite imagery. This effort meets student and project needs through an authentic learning opportunity. This effort promises to help us document and study archaeological sites that are likely to be erased before adequate study can be completed on the ground. The Casma Hinterland Archaeological Project (CHAP) reported on here has been successful in both advancing archaeological research in the Sechín Branch of the Casma River Valley, Peru, and in supporting students in skill building, …

Anth101.Com: A Free And Open Course That Works With Or Without A Classroom, Michael Wesch

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Anthropology is not just a discipline or a body of knowledge. It also contains a different “ethos” for seeing and being in the world. It is often this “ethos” that is what anthropology teachers are actually trying to “teach.” Anth101.com is a free and open textbook, and a hub for anthropology teaching resources, which are dedicated to this kind of transformative learning. The course and text are broken up into 10 lessons that connect to 10 challenge assignments that allow students to practice and embody the core ethos of anthropology.

Adult Education At The Oriental Institute In The Twenty-First Century, Foy Scalf

Journal of Archaeology and Education

For over fifty years, the Oriental Institute Adult Education program has taught outside of the traditional academic framework as exemplified by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. The classes of this program were converted to hybrid availability in 2015. The primary motivation for these expansions was to increase access to, and expand the audience for, the offerings within the program. In doing so, we have found a very motivated audience of global learners hungry for serious engagement with historical, linguistic, and anthropological issues. Although our experience has been punctuated largely by success, several …

Online Learning For Offline Living, Ryan T. Klataske

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Teaching anthropology online presents a unique opportunity to invite students to explore the world along with us, from wherever they might be. This journey can introduce students to the range of human potential and possibility, while also allowing them to better understand themselves, where they come from, their everyday lives, and the world around them. This article argues that online learning can transform offline living, especially when it engages everyone in their efforts to bring about change in their lives. It presents online teaching as a powerful act of engaged anthropology and an urgently needed experiment to develop online learning …

Mind The Gap, But Don't Fret The Platform, Jane Eva Baxter

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This brief essay makes the case for effective online teaching and learning in anthropology. It addresses areas of traditional faculty resistance to online teaching and suggests that inline teaching has unique strengths and possibilities that can be used to encourage excellence in teachers and students in online anthropology courses.

Tensions And Opportunities Of Anthropology And The Academy Online, Rebecca Robertson

Journal of Archaeology and Education

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 crisis precipitated an abrupt and unplanned shift to online instruction that is unlikely to completely reverse once the pandemic retreats. Thus, the academy and, by extension anthropology, stand at a COVID-19 accelerated crossroads between a corporeal tradition, a “virtual” present, and an unknown but transformed future. This article briefly explores existing tensions of anthropology and the academy online with the aim of informing a reflexive, equity-minded, and viable way forward. I draw from personal experience, empirical inquiry, and extant literature to examine the challenges and opportunities of online education, with a view to the …

Meeting Students (And Subjects) Where They Are: Perspectives In Teaching, Learning, And Doing Archaeology And Anthropology Online, David Pacifico, Rebecca Robertson

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This article introduces a special issue of Archaeology and Education that explores teaching and learning anthropology online. We argue that effective online teaching requires course design that supports participant interactivity, instructor presence, and student-centered opportunities for 'doing, not viewing.' Online modes of teaching, learning, and doing anthropology and archaeology address issues of educational equity and access in addition to providing opportunities for authentic learning that are not available through face-to-face instruction.

Teaching Paleoradiography Theory Using E-Learning – A Participatory Action Research Study With Undergraduate Archaeology Students, James E. G. Elliott

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This article presents the development of an e-learning paleoradiography short course for undergraduate archaeology students using participatory action research. The use of x-rays in archaeology is well known and yet studies exploring the pedagogic preferences of students are lacking, particularly for online learning. To address this shortfall 100 students in groups of 50 were invited to participate and provide feedback on an e-learning course which ran in April-May and July-August 2021. Participants required internet access, a university email address, and four hours to complete the course. Initial feedback was used to improve the course for a second iteration. The course …

Discussion Meeting The Challenge With An Integrated Model For Archaeology Education, Joanne E. Lea

Journal of Archaeology and Education

The articles in this issue represent collaborations based on papers presented in the session “The Other Grand Challenge: Archaeological Education & Pedagogy in the Next 50 Years” at the 2017 Chacmool Conference at the University of Calgary. A model for Archaeology Education emerged, which integrated accessibility, collaboration, and engagement by focusing on communication. It built on the foundations of Public Archaeology and Archaeology Education in the past, asked us to question our truths and practices in the present, and provided examples and direction for Archaeology Education in the future.

Grand Challenge No. 5: Communicating Archaeology Outreach And Narratives In Professional Practice, Todd J. Kristensen, Meigan Henry, Kevin Brownlee, Adrian Praetzellis, Myra Sitchon

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Communicating archaeology to non-expert audiences can convey the role and value of the discipline, implant respect for heritage, and connect descendant communities to their past. A challenge facing archaeology communicators is to translate complex ideas while retaining their richness and maximizing audience engagement. This article discusses how archaeologists can effectively communicate with non-experts using narrative and visual tools. We provide a communication strategy and three case studies from North America. The examples include the packaging of archaeological theory in the shape of mystery novels for student consumption; the use of artwork to anchor archaeological narratives in public outreach; and, the …

Grand Challenge No. 4: Curriculum Design – Curriculum Matters: Case Studies From Canada And The Uk, John R. Welch, Michael Corbishley

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology in the 21st century faces outward more than inward, with many archaeologists working on projects that actively involve young people, descendant communities, diverse colleagues and clients, and the general public. The ways and means of learning and teaching about the past, as outlined in the curricula of primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, always reflect the prevalent pedagogies of the age. Our paper comments upon two different ways of learning about archaeology. First, it presents an online university graduate program in Canada for post-Baccalaureate Cultural Resource Management (CRM) practitioners and a module on archaeology and education, which may form part …

Grand Challenge No. 3: Digital Archaeology Technology-Enabled Learning In Archaeology, Meaghan M. Peuramaki-Brown, Shawn G. Morton, Oula Seitsonen, Chris Sims, Dave Blaine

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Archaeology is traditionally a hands-on, in-person discipline when it comes to formal and informal instruction; however, more and more we are seeing the application of blended and online instruction and outreach implemented within our discipline. To this point, much of the movement in this direction has been related to a greater administrative emphasis on filling university classrooms, as well as the increasing importance of public outreach and engagement when it comes to presenting our research. More recently, we have all had to adjust our activities and interactions in reaction to physical distancing requirements during a pandemic. Whether in a physical …

Grand Challenge No. 2: Experiential Learning Public Archaeology Internships And Partnerships: The Value Of Experiential Education, Cynthia Zutter, Christie Grekul

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Experiential education is a common part of undergraduate archaeology curricula, often provided in the form of lab and field courses. While these remain important elements, students are now looking for more applied forms of archaeological education that intertwine community needs with understanding the past. The following article outlines the steps taken to create an applied form of experiential education where MacEwan University students participate in an internship at a public archaeology center: Bodo Archaeological Interpretive Centre (BAIC) located in east central Alberta. In our case, students participate in the various tasks that archaeologists conduct, while at the same time serving …

Grand Challenge No. 1: Truth And Reconciliation Archaeological Pedagogy, Indigenous Histories, And Reconciliation In Canada, Kisha Supernant

Journal of Archaeology and Education

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released 94 Calls to Action, many of which pertain to education. Archaeological educators are called to find ways to integrate Indigenous knowledge into our classrooms, our teaching methods, and our curriculum at all levels of education. Across Canada, discussions are happening about how to decolonize and Indigenize curriculum, a process which will have significant implications for archaeological pedagogy. Drawing on both the specific text and the overall ethic of the TRC Calls to Action, I explore who teaches archaeology, what is taught, and what that means for archaeological pedagogy in …

Introduction The ‘Other Grand Challenge’: Learning And Sharing In Archaeological Education And Pedagogy, Meaghan M. Peuramaki-Brown

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This article serves as an introduction to a special issue titled "The ‘Other Grand Challenge’: Learning and Sharing in Archaeological Education and Pedagogy." In this introductory article, I briefly discuss the history of university-level archaeological education in Canada, primarily in light of considerations of accessibility and ethics. I then introduce the focus of the conference session I co-organized—dealing with grand challenges for the future of archaeological education and pedagogy, which forms the foundation for this special issue—inspired by a personal existential crisis and the intriguing role of stories and storytelling in archaeological education. The resources presented in this special issue …

Lessons Learned From Educational Research Of A National Science Foundation Research Experiences For Undergraduates, Carol E. Colaninno, John H. Chick, Matthew Feldmann

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Participation in an archaeological field school is the entry point to a professional career in the discipline. Despite the importance of field schools, few scholars have investigated achieved student-learning outcomes or lasting impacts on students from participation in archaeological field research. We report on the educational design, learning objectives, and results of three years of formative and summative assessments for an interdisciplinary, archaeology and ecology research program for undergraduate students. Our learning objectives include promoting scientific literacy and communication, critical thinking and STEM skills, and capacities in archaeological and ecological interdisciplinarity. Using developed rubrics that account for both critical thinking …

Teaching Archaeology With Inclusive Pedagogy, Maxine H. Oland

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Introductory archaeology courses are attractive general education offerings at many colleges and universities, and teach students about human diversity in the past and present. Yet many professors struggle to manage the tremendous diversity within the classroom. This article incorporates inclusive pedagogy models, particularly Universal Design for Learning and Teaching Across Cultural Strengths, to propose an inclusive model of education in archaeology classes. An emphasis is placed on large introductory lecture classes, where many students are exposed to academic archaeology for the first time.

The Realities Of Fieldwork: Embedding Professional Practice - A Case Study From Palaeoanthropology, Kris Kovarovic

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Programs in palaeoanthropology (the study of human evolution) do not often provide professional fieldwork training. Palaeoanthropology students are thus at risk of being unaware of the professional practices and responsibilities that come with a career in this subject area. Here I describe palaeoanthropology in the context of aligned field sciences, and make the case for requiring pre-fieldwork preparation through the implementation and evaluation of a seminar focusing on professional practice in palaeoanthropological fieldwork. The seminar was delivered to a small cohort of Masters of Science students at Durham University, UK. I qualitatively evaluate the seminar via semi-structured interviews, exploring how …

The Need For Discipline-Based Education Research In Archaeology, Carol E. Colaninno

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Over the last few decades, scholars have recognized the importance of discipline-based education research (DBER). As outlined by the National Research Council of the National Academies, DBER aims to 1) understand how students learn discipline concepts, practices, and ways of thinking; 2) understand how students develop expertise; 3) identify and measure learning objectives and forms of instruction that advance students towards those objectives; 4) contribute knowledge that can transform instruction; and 5) identify approaches to make education broad and inclusive. Physicists, chemists, engineers, biologists, astronomers, and geoscientists have been among the first to adopt DBER. Given research that demonstrates the …

Teaching With Technology: Digital Tools For Archaeological Education, Caroline Gardiner

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Recent technological advances have greatly altered how scholars record, study, and educate the public about cultural resources. Data can now be instantly recorded, analyzed, and widely shared. Digital tools can help create multimedia, interactive products that have contributed greatly to education and outreach initiatives worldwide.

Both the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) are dedicated to studying, preserving, and educating the public about cultural resources. A recent internship project between these two institutions produced online lesson plans that educated students about cultural materials and the various methodologies scholars use to study them within archaeology, …

Service Learning In Archaeology And Its Impact On Perceptions Of Cultural Heritage And Historic Preservation, Kyle P. Freund, Laura K. Clark, Kevin Gidusko

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This paper focuses on a for-credit cemetery recording class taught at Indian River State College (IRSC) and on the impact of the project on student perceptions of cultural heritage and historic preservation. One of the goals in creating this service learning course was to promote student awareness of the destructive risks that many historic cemeteries face and to impart the importance of stewardship over the archaeological record. To assess the effectiveness of the course in meeting this goal, a series of five interviews with students enrolled in the class were conducted to get participants to discuss their motivations and perceptions …

The Alma College Archaeological Project: Toward A Community-Based Pedagogy, Kristin Landau

Journal of Archaeology and Education

The turn toward community-based research in archaeology is “transforming” the discipline. No longer can we show up with screens and trowels wielding government permits and expect to start digging. Community-based archaeological projects may never even get to the excavation phase if local collaborators are uninterested or have other priorities. Now that collaboration with local populations has become standard archaeological practice, it is imperative to begin incorporating community engagement into traditional field schools. Today’s archaeology requires grassroots organizing, cultural awareness, and sensitive listening skills, in addition to digging square holes and drawing tree roots to scale. In this paper, I incorporate …