This module aims to bring an understanding of how heritage is disseminated to the public. Students on the module will be made aware of the theories surrounding learning and communication. They will investigate heritage as a culture and how this culture interfaces with the public. Students will examine case studies in a variety of different heritage areas. They will look at how information is released in heritage literature and how this is subsequently picked up by the public press. They will gain an appreciation of how heritage information can be used to change public perception and how it can sometimes be misinterpreted. Students will also learn practical skills by designing, running and evaluating a public outreach event at a school or in a public area.

The course will be mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes, allowing both the theory and the methods of analysis to be taught with students spending one afternoon a week in second semester preparing their project.  Assessment is based on an essay, a presentation, one page of web content and a project report.

• discuss how heritage communication in the UK has been shaped by institutions;
• recognise the models surrounding heritage communication and public engagement theory;
• recognise learning and communication theories;
• describe how heritage is communicated to the public through the use of case studies (e.g. human remains and culturally contested objects);
• demonstrate an ability to communicate heritage to a public audience;
• draw information from a wide variety of sources, e.g. the primary literature, reports from the Government and Research Councils, the internet and public health leaflets; and
• demonstrate a set of professional and transferable skills in communication, time management, event design, organisation and administration.

There are three strands to the module; a lecture programme, a project and the evaluation of the project, which includes self-reflection and action learning.  This module takes an outcomes based approach to teaching and learning assessment.

Lectures will cover the history of heritage studies, communication and learning, the models of heritage communication to the public, heritage culture and perception.

The project component requires students to work in teams to develop and run an outreach activity to be delivered to an audience (either face to face or via digital and social media). They will report on this activity and develop a web-based resource (text for a web-page, blog or other social media) to communicate their activities to a wider audience.

On completion of the module the typical student should know:

• The history and structure of heritage communication
• How to synthesise observation and research
• The introductory texts in heritage communication
• The terms and conventions employed in heritage communication.
• The H&S regulations applicable to public engagement (e.g. CB checks, and risk assessments)
• The ethical considerations involved in heritage communication
• The theories and strategies for evaluating public engagement
• A range of techniques for engaging with various audiences

On completion of the module the typical student should understand :

• The aims of heritage communication
• The basic concepts of communicating heritage
• The concepts and structure of educational theory used in heritage communication.
• The contribution that heritage communication makes in transmitting academic research to the public
• The role of various forms of media in public engagement.
• Their ethical responsibilities within heritage communication
• How to design evaluation strategies for use in heritage communication

On completion of the module the typical student be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate practical abilities in heritage communication
• Have a competent overview of the use and acquisition of public engagement techniques
• Describe the concepts underpinning heritage communication
• Prepare and interpret archaeological research an external audience
• Interpret a variety of information forms and assimilate/manage data;
• Deploy data from a range of reports.
• Use appropriate language to communicate heritage to an external audience
• Use appropriate language to structure and report on public engagement
• Link observation to theory
• Complete and follow H&S requirements
• Contribute to group discussions, ask pertinent questions and co-operate with external audiences and learn from peers.
• Critically evaluate the success of an public engagement activity

• Workshops on heritage communication throughout the module
• Draft project proposal
• Project proposal
• Presentation on  project - 10 minutes

Peer assessment is a large part of this module. Students will present their ideas to the group and will benefit from both providing and receiving feedback from their peers at a number of critical stages. 

Type of assessment       Contribution%               Title                        Length      Approx date of assessment

Coursework                          Formative      Draft project proposal           1 side A4         Semester 1, Week 7 

Coursework                          Formative      Final project proposal           1 side A4         Semester 1, Week 10

Coursework                        Formative       Oral presentation                   10 minutes      Semester 2 , Week 1

Coursework                         30                Project Resource (group)         1,500 words    Semester 2, Week 11

Coursework                         70                 Project Report (individual)   2,500 words         Semester 2, Week 11

Project Resource and Project Report (30% and 70%)

This structure uses the development of a project as a learning experience supporting the development of knowledge, critical thinking, awareness, oral communication and timekeeping. All of these are recognised employability skills.

Student will work in teams (of four maximum) for the creation of the project /resource; the project report will be marked individually. For project allocation, students will submit a first and second choice of title for approval.

Project Guidance

Projects could include public events in public spaces, archaeological club events, designing an interactive area for a museum, producing video clips of heritage research, documentary addressing heritage contribution to our understanding of present day concerns (e.g. human evolution, development of societies). Examples include turning research generated images into postcards, creating a workshop for the CAER project, editing a publically accessible magazine, creating a heritage themed public event at museums (e.g. the Cardiff Story, Cardiff Castle) or monuments (e.g. with Cadw,) or running an event for ‘gifted and talented’ pupils.  Partnership with the SHARE with Schools scheme will be encouraged and activities can be tailored for delivery via this program.

Student will be encouraged to take part in communicating SHARE heritage activities and research via new media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress), with formative assessment and feedback provided for these activities.

The draft project proposal (formative assessment) will be submitted in Week 7 of SEMESTER 1, and each project will be assigned a supervisor. The project will be discussed and refined with each group prior to the final proposal submission in Week 10.  In Week 1 of SEMESTER 2 each proposal will then be presented in a ten-minute talk to a sub-set of the student group to provide peer-led feedback and support.

Projects all have to include the following:

• the models of heritage communication;
• a design component which has to be embedded in the light of learning theory;
• evaluation of the activity
• a self-reflective component to the individual report where the student reflects upon the design and delivery of the project.
• a developed Resource e.g. activity resources, lesson plans, DVDs;

Projects will have one primary supervisor and additional support from other members of the staff. The projects will be double-marked by the primary supervisor and another member of staff who supports the projects as a second assessor.

Students will submit a project report (2500 words) that had a common structure based on the bullet points above. There are clearly defined marking criteria (see below). Students will also submit the Project resources, these can be submitted as a group as it is expected these will be developed collaboratively, however these can be submitted individually if the student wishes.

Reassessment will be by resubmission of all the various elements of the work.

Lectures will cover the history of heritage studies, communication and learning and the models of heritage communication to the public.  Emphasis is placed on students acquisition of the awareness, understanding and skills necessary to communicate directly with a range of ‘publics’ in a variety of contexts and to determine the effectiveness of that communication.

Topics to be covered include -

Communicating heritage: an introduction gives a first look at the range of situations in which the archaeology and conservation (A&C) are communicated in the information age. You will begin to explore the strategic management of contemporary heritage communication and how this shapes various forms of ‘publication’.

Talking to ourselves?:  illustrates how A&Cs communicate with other A&Cs through a range of oral, print and digital media. You will see how this communication forms the basis of the documentation of heritage knowledge, for example, through discussion of conferences, peer review and open access.

Broadcast, print and new mediaconsiders how heritage is represented in a range of popular media and genres, and examines the future of public service broadcasting in relation to heritage. You will consider how heritage knowledge becomes news, how heritage information is represented in popular media and genres, and how audiences consume and respond to these messages.

Communicating heritage: in informal settings examines situations where A&Cs communicate with non-specialists, e.g. in settings such as museums and excavations, and through popular archaeology books. You will critically evaluate the concept of ‘(upstream) public engagement with the heritages’ and the challenges it sets for those who choose to participate.

Engagement and Outreach theory: has links to education theory and a number of’ Outcome Frameworks’ that cover everything from Curriculum Aims to Social Cohesion. This part of the course will also consider Generic Learning and Generic Social Outcomes and the role they play in communication heritage.  

Outreach and EngagementStrategies: equips students with the skills to communicate heritage to a range of different audiences, including both schools and the general public, using a variety of different presentation and engagement techniques.  Students will be encouraged to volunteer at the ACNMW, Cadw, Share with Schools or Techniquest, and (the science discovery centre in Cardiff Bay) and will combine this experience with theoretical inputs in a variety of styles through a reflective approach to learning. Students will develop an understanding of what makes good outreach and engagement as well as the skills to develop and present heritage activities in a range of different formats.

Evaluation:  is the main tool for reflection and serves to inform future activities and improve practice. Planning for evaluation may also help you clearly identify the aims of your activities, if they are not well defined, so it can be helpful to consider early on in a project.  The National Council for Public Engagement guide to producing an evaluation plan will be used to structure and understand the outcomes, outputs and impacts.

Social and Digital Media:communicating with the public now occurs through a wide range of media.  The main techniques of social and digital media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc) will be considered and the potentials and pitfalls of these tools examined.

Case studies

Theory will be underpinned by specific case studies, looking at areas of heritage controversy, e.g. human remains treatment, display and reburial, contested artefacts and monuments, ownership of the past and construction of identity. Guest speakers will be invited to talk about heritage communication in different organisations, e.g. schools, museums, national bodies, heritage centres and charities.

Indicative Reading and Resource List:

There are numerous resources available at

http://www.scoop.it/t/public-engagement-why-bother Useful papers collected by the ESRC about why research scientists should ‘bother’ with PES (for tips, evaluation advice and PES funding)

http://www.research2practice.info/ has research briefs that break down research on science communication, engagement and learning into bite-size pieces

http://informalscience.org/ has research documents, info about projects, their evaluations and news, but is US based

http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/about the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, support for University researchers involved in public engagement, including advice on evaluation, the REF, funding streams etc

http://www.stfc.ac.uk/Funding+and+Grants/1342.aspx STFC webpage’s about public engagement support and funding

http://www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/

Reading

Bonacchi, C. (ed), 2012. Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype Publications

Chambers, Erve, 2004, Epilogue. In Places in Mind: Public Archaeology as Applied Anthropology. Paul A. Shackel and Erve J. Chambers, eds. London: Routledge: 193-208.

Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Chip and T. J. Ferguson, 2008, Introduction. In Collaboration in Archaeological Practice: Engaging Descendent Communities. Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh and T. J. Ferguson, eds. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press: 1-34.

Cusack, Carole M. "Charmed Circle: Stonehenge, Contemporary Paganism, and Alternative Archaeology." Numen 59.2-3 (2012): 2-3.

Flatman, Joe, Robert C. Chidester, and David A. Gadsby. "What Public Engagement in Archaeology Really Means." Archaeology in Society (2012): 65-76.

Hudson, Mark J., et al. "Prospects and challenges for an archaeology of global climate change." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change (2012).

Irwin, Alan, Torben Elgaard Jensen, and Kevin E. Jones. "The good, the bad and the perfect: Criticizing engagement practice." Social Studies of Science 43.1 (2013): 118-135.

Jensen, Anne M. "Culture and change: learning from the past through Community Archaeology on the North Slope." (2012).

Little, Barbara J., 2007, Archaeology and Civic Engagement. In Archaeology as a Tool of Civic Engagement. Barbara J. Little and Paul A. Shackel, eds. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press: 1-22.

Mazel, Aron, et al. "‘I want to be provoked’: public involvement in the development of the Northumberland Rock Art on Mobile Phones project." World Archaeology 44.4 (2012): 592-611.

Moyer, Teresa, 2004, “To Have and Enjoy the Liberty of Conscience”: Community-Responsive Museum Outreach Education at Bowne House. In Places in Mind: Public Archaeology as Applied Anthropology. Paul A. Shackel and Erve J. Chambers, eds. London: Routledge: 85-100

Peterson, Rick, and David Robinson. "Excavations and the afterlife of a professional football stadium, Peel Park, Accrington, Lancashire: towards an archaeology of football." World Archaeology 44.2 (2012): 263-279.

Pett, D., C. Bonacchi, and C. Furneaux. "Public Engagement through Online TV channels: A way forward for the Audiovisual Communication of Archaeology." (2012).

Potter, Parker B., Jr., 1994, Public Archaeology in Annapolis: A Critical Approach to History in Maryland’s Ancient City. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Schablitsky, Julie M., and Nigel J. Hetherington. "Archaeology on the Screen." Archaeology in Society (2012): 139-152.

Shackel, Paul A., 2004, Working with Communities: Heritage Development and Applied Archaeology. In Places in Mind: Public Archaeology as Applied Anthropology. Paul A. Shackel and Erve J. Chambers, eds.  London: Routledge: 1-16.

Silberman, Neil A. "Heritage interpretation and human rights: documenting diversity, expressing identity, or establishing universal principles?." International Journal of Heritage Studies 18.3 (2012): 245-256.

Skeates, Robin, Carol McDavid, and John Carman, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Public Archaeology. OUP Oxford, 2012.

Watkins, J. 2006 Communicating archaeology: Words to the wise Journal of Social Archaeology February 2006 6: 100-118, doi:10.1177/1469605306060569

West, Celine. "The thing is…: a new model for encouraging diverse opinions in museum outreach." Museum Management and Curatorship ahead-of-print (2013): 1-17.