Knowledge, Learning and Culture

Through practical engagement with objects from the University of Melbourne’s diverse cultural collections, in this subject students will explore the relationships between knowledge, culture and learning. Objects may include, for instance, rare books, artworks, archives, historical artifacts, and scientific and technological objects. By engaging in object-based learning, students will critically reflect on the significance, and multiple interpretations, of cultural collections to develop an understanding of how these collections are contested forms of cultural learning. The subject presents key concepts and theories to explore the educational dimensions of the university’s cultural collections, such as settler colonialism, affect, knowledge and power, and critical pedagogy. Through tutorials and assessments, students will develop a critical understanding of the educational potential of cultural collections, and the political, social and cultural considerations of this potential.