Embedding special collections in student assessments

Dr Janette Martin, Research and Learning Manager (Special Collections)

Special Collections offer great potential for supporting new and original interpretations of the past and have a quality of immediacy not found in secondary sources. In an increasingly digital world, students encountering manuscripts, objects, letters, photographs and maps for the first time are a joy to watch. Our collections transform University of Manchester students into researchers, enhancing the learning experience and providing employability skills.

This lightning talk will look at two case studies on innovative collection-based assessments: Dr Andrew Fearnley’s second year American Studies students and Prof Michael Sander’s English Literature MA students. Both modules offer our graduates new skills that have enduring value beyond university and into the workplace.