Barnard College Barnard College

Barnard Teaches

Barnard Teaches: Real Place + Digital Access was a technology and place-based learning initiative at Barnard College, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2014. Originally planned for four classes spanning four years, the grant funded eight courses and was extended to October 2022 (see List of Courses for more information). Barnard Teaches supported curricular innovation using new technologies through active faculty collaborations with curators, archivists, and collection managers at New York City institutions such as museums, libraries, and archives.

Concept: to develop new and adapted courses with place-based learning and digital components, with each course meeting the following criteria: (1) students learn onsite at New York City institutions, (2) digital components of the course enhance and enrich the learning experience, and (3) collaborations between faculty, curators, and digital innovators create new points of access to share and learn information.

Goals: (1) to create prototypes for innovative pedagogical models of teaching, (2) to utilize resources at NYC institutions, (3) to use technology to enhance learning, (4) to teach practical digital skills, and (5) to assess and repeat – lessons learned from the first course are applied to the second offering of the course (all courses have at least two offerings).

Clips are from the following courses: (1) A Virtual Enlightenment, (2) New York City's Gilded Ages, and (3) The Worlds of Ntozake Shange and Digital Storytelling.

    Panel Series

    Graphic with name of event and image of student handling item from the collection of the New-York Historical society during the Barnard Teaches course "New York City's Gilded Ages."

    In this two-day panel series, faculty and students shared their experiences with curricular innovations, new technologies, and external partnerships. These discussions focused on the past, present, and future of the 8-year Mellon grant. 

    Sunsetting / Preserving 

    • Held April 12th, 2022
    • Moderated by Alicia Peaker, Associate Director of the Digital Humanities Center.
    • Panelists:
      • Kadambari Baxi, Professor of Professional Practice in Architecture 
      • Laura Blaszczak, former student and intern of the Barnard Teaches course Environmental Visualizations of NYC
      • Hilary Callahan, Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Biological Sciences
      • Elizabeth Hutchinson, Associate Professor of American Art History

    Watch here:

     

    Embodied / Remote Learning

    • Held April 13th, 2022
    • Moderated by Melanie Hibbert, Director of IMATS (Instructional Media & Academic Technology Services) and the Sloate Media Center.
    • Panelists:
      • Anne Higonnet, Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Art History 
      • Meredith Linn, Assistant Professor of Historical Archaeology at The Bard Graduate Center
      • Heather Nickels, former student of the Barnard Teaches course, A Virtual Enlightenment 
      • Hana Worthen, Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies

    Watch here:

    List of Courses

    An archival list of the courses offered during the grant period (2014-2022).

     Africana Studies

    AFEN BC3815, The Worlds of Ntozake Shange and Digital Storytelling 

    Screenshot of the course website, The Worlds of Ntozake Shange and Digital Storytelling

    Course site: bcrw.barnard.edu/digitalshange/projects

    Architecture

    ARCH UN3400, Environmental Visualizations of NYC: Toxic Territories and Future Possibilities

    Art History

    AHIS BC3853, Exhibiting Modern Inuit Sculpture

     AHIS BC3988, A Virtual Enlightenment

    Screenshot of the course website, A Virtual Enlightenment

    Course site: bt.barnard.edu/avirtualenlightenment

    Biology

    BIOL BC2851, Plants and Profit: The Global Power of Botany

     

    Dance

    DNCE BC3985, Digital Footprints: Archival/New Media Research at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

    Screenshot of the course website, Digital Footprints

    Course site: bt.barnard.edu/digitalfootprints

    Theatre

    THTR UN3144, Ecologies of Transmedia Performance

    Urban Studies

    URBS V3725, New York City's Gilded Ages:

    Screenshot of the course website, NYC's Gilded Ages

    The online exhibit ran from 2015-2022.