Senses-Based Learning

2024

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Maastricht University

Coordinator & main teacher

·      Emilie Sitzia – an expert on word/image relationship, on the impact of art on audiences and participatory practices, she has recently obtained a Comenius leadership fellowship to develop ‘Senses-based learning’ with and for the students.

·      Carissa DiCindio – this American researcher’s expertise is in Art and Visual Culture Education and she works on engagement, on the civic aspect of museums, on museum ecologies, and on walking as a research method.

In this seminar the students will discover sensory research methods and train them to analyse cultural ecosystem. How do you map sound in a cultural institution? How to document visitor’s movement? How to analyse an exhibition space? How to use walking as a research method? How to use a sensory diary? What is sensory ethnography?

During this project students are taught a range of sensory methodologies to study the cultural ecosystem of Maastricht. The teaching will alternate between experiments and self-directed research session to map and reflect on an aspect of that cultural ecosystem of the student’s choice.

·      Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key theories, histories and social contexts around using your senses in a professional and academic environment and cultural ecosystems.

·      Demonstrate basic knowledge in the use of senses in their specific area of specialisation esp. observation skills.

·      Communicate and elaborate clearly and precisely around sensory experience and its significance in regards to cultural ecosystems.

·      Demonstrate the ability to map cultural ecosystems using sensory research methods.

Studying cultural ecology allows us to interrogate systems within cultural institutions and examine their relationships to their communities. It allows researchers to critically examines institutional hierarchies and colonial practices of traditional institutions and re-envisions these spaces as participatory and multivocal and as sites for engagement and critical dialogue by breaking down the barriers between the institution and the public.

But how to research such complex ecosystems?

Sensory research methods are essential to many fields of practice. They involve attuning and developing sensory skills but also an ability to collect and analyse sensory data. Within the ‘Senses-based learning’ research project we aim to give these essential sensory knowledge and skills space and visibility in university education. We want to change your education. We want to develop ‘senses-based learning’, that is learning units specifically training (and evaluating) sensory skills in existing physical, digital or hybrid teaching programmes across faculties and we want students to be involved throughout this development.

Honours course

Honours students

Senses-based learning

SESSION 1: TUTOR GUIDED WORK

Introduction to sensory methodology and to cultural ecosystems

In class:

–       Students are introduced to:

o   Sensory methodologies

o   Cultural/museum ecosystems

o   How to use a diary/sensory journal: taking fieldnotes, drawings, mapping, etc. in order to describe the different sensory experiences during research project

–       Training

o   How to train your senses (In class we will only train smell)

Decide which sense you want to attune. In order to do so, deprive yourself of the other senses (wearing ear plugs, an eye mask, and/or a mouth cap).

a- Sight – pick up ear plugs and mouth cap

b- Hearing – pick up eye mask and mouth cap

c- Smell/taste – pick up eye mask and ear plugs

d- Touch – pick up eye mask and ear plugs

During the experiment ask yourself:

How do I feel?

What sensory data do/can I collect?

What do I miss? What changes?

Once finished with the experiment: what do you notice?

–       How to communicate (and train communicating) sensory data

We will eat a very exciting chocolate truffle extremely slowly. We will be taking in and describing all the sensory impressions and memories it triggers and transcribe it either in a drawing or in a poem. We will then gather our impressions together and make a ‘sensory portrait’ of that truffle.

Guided Fieldwork with students (same day) in the city:

Aim: Understand gathering sensory data

Field experiment 1:

Attuning Your Senses and learning to use a diary/sensory journal

Location: Vrijthof

Exercise to practice attentiveness, attitude, taking the time – make time meaningful to collect sensory data.

Part 1: Mapping cultural elements/ institutions

We will walk around the Vrijthof (attentively) and identify cultural elements and institutions on the square. Map them in your diary.

Compare your diary and discuss your system of notation.

Part 2:

In groups of 2 (or individually) either:

–       Map the movements of people on the square

–       Make a sound map of the square

–       Document visually each of the cultural map points we have identified

Discussion points:

What is sensory data?

What kind of research can I use it for?

Can you train your senses to become a better researcher/ professional?

How to train the senses themselves along the course of the honours programme?

Field experiment 2:

Students will go to an exhibition at Marres.

Investigate the Marres exhibition with one sense. You can move through the rooms, but also choose places to stay still. Draw, write, and/or record images, ideas, colors, and observations focused on this sense.

Choose how you will be collecting this sensory data in your diary/sensory journal (and which data you are after)

1-     Making sensory maps

2-     Doing a recording

3-     Taking notes

4-     Making a drawing

5-     Writing a poem

Discussion points:

What do I really see/hear/touch/smell?

What can I focus on where?

Did your collection method influence your choice of sensory data? How hard was it to devise a code?

How useable is your data?

What kind of research can I use this for?

SELF-DIRECTED FIELDWORK (independent work to do before next session):

Aim: Experimentation and practice with how to take fieldnotes, based on ethnographic and walking techniques.

Desk work:

Start thinking about what places constitute the Maastricht ecosystem. Enter the places in the collective map.
Connect to the collective map on https://storymap.knightlab.com

Click on Make a story map. Then click on Maastricht Cultural ecosystem. Click on add slide to the left column, enter a location, title the location, add a bit of text and a placeholder image/video.
Add as many places/slides as you can.

Fieldwork training:

Experiments with methods learnt using your sensory diary on a familiar place (your home, campus, etc). Bring your sensory diary with you for the next session and be ready to discuss your experience.

Reading:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/b4r651vj4ab0cnjzo0w9d/h?rlkey=1nx6nxsd8dnltxg6gt96pfg xc&dl=0

For session 2 read intro walking and then choose among the readings a chapter/article that interest you particularly.

SESSION 2: TUTOR GUIDED WORK

WALKING THE ECOSYSTEM

In class (1 hr. 30 minutes):

Students are introduced to:

•       Walking methodologies

•       Using movement to investigate cultural ecosystems

•       Mapping movements through visual interpretations

Reflection from last class:

Walking around the square- how did you decide what to include and what to leave out? What did you decide to include in your maps as culture? What does culture mean to you?

How did your sensory experiences guide your exploration through the Marres? Did you wander, choose a path, move around with a classmate?

What can we learn through movement: Thinking about it through the readings.

Post-its 3 key words and one question you have + pair and share

What do you notice on your route to school? What does it tell you about where you live? How does movement change what we see?

What are different ways we move?

What tools can we use to remember/record/reexperience these movements?

Presentation:

•       Thinking more about how we can use sensory experiences in walking as research (from the video)

o   Vestibular- gravity or balance sense

o   Proprioception- the sense of self movement, force, and body position

o   Interoception- what you feel or is going on in your body

•       Looking at examples of projects and art that map space, problematize space

•       What lens do you want to use to explore these spaces? institutional hierarchies, engagement, participatory practices, diversity, colonial practices/decolonizing practices, multivocality, access, or a different one? Do you have any questions about any of these terms?

•       Share plan for trip to and in the Bonnefanten

•       What are some questions you’d like to explore today?

Guided Field work:

Aim: To use movement and senses to explore the cultural ecosystem in and around the Bonnefanten

Field Experiment 1:

Walk to the Bonnefanten (45 minutes):

What cultural elements/institutions do you experience on your way to and walking around the Bonnefanten. Being aware of your surroundings, take pauses to include entries that map your walk through these elements/institutions.

Field Experiment 2 (1 hour & 45 minutes)

Part 1: Choose a gallery or exhibition and choose your own path through it. You can try to get lost and focus on being drawn to particular areas or attractions.

As you move through this gallery, consider the lens with which you chose to examine this experience. In your sensory diaries, include observations, sensations, and interpretations through that lens using whatever form of recording you would like.

Part 2: Find a place where you can be still in the galleries. You can choose the same gallery/exhibition that you explored, or a new one. You can also find a place that has a bench or seating. Observe how visitors and staff move around the galleries. Record these observations in your sensory diaries.

Reflection:

Did you observe yourself and others moving differently inside the museum than outside? How?

Even without a specific path/plan inside the museum, did you know where to go?

What feelings came up for you as you tried to navigate the space without a map?

Did you discover anything new?

SELF-DIRECTED FIELDWORK (independent work to do this week):

Aim: Practicing observing and noticing and preparing the recording of material to integrate in the map.

Field experiment: In a space you are very familiar with/ on a traject you do often, practice walking (slowly) and documenting sensory data. Pay particular attention to focusing on one or two senses and document the experience in your sensory diary. Note in particular what new information you gathered (things you never noticed before).

In preparation for next week’s session (to do before the session)

1-Reading :

Roppola, T. (2012). ‘Envisaging the discipline’, Designing for the Museum Visitor Experience. New York, NY. 1-10

•       read the chapter from Tiina Roppola’s book

•       familiarise yourself with the space analysis grid

2- Thinking and making decisions :

•       revisit our collective map (add places if necessary)

•       choose 2 or 3 sites that you are particularly interested in documenting

•       think about what medium you would like to use to explore each of the site

•       think about angles/topics that would suit your site/exploration medium best

•       Make a team of 2 or 3 (in function of your interests in topics/sites/medium)

SESSION 3: TUTOR GUIDED WORK

GATHERING SENSORY DATA AND EXHIBITION ANALYSIS

Readings

Roppola, T. (2012). ‘Envisaging the discipline’, Designing for the Museum Visitor Experience. New York, NY. 1-10.

Meeting (1h30 in class, 30 min to CC and 2 h in the field):

–       Recap of last session (15min):

o   lessons learnt and connecting walking and sensory methodologies

o   Discussion on clarity of cultural ecosystem and locations added to the map

–       Collect impression of self-directed work (self-evaluate senses of progress?) (10 min)

–       Peer discussions on Roppola (15min)

o   between students explaining to each other literature and Roppola /analysis grid (slides)

o   Discussion on transferability – communication of the sensory data and multimodality

–       Learning to use the recording equipment (30 min)

o   (cameras, sound recording devices, etc).

o   Discussion collecting and recording meaningful sensory data in an ecosystem. What is meaningful?

–       Discussion final map (20 min)

o   how/what your groups wants to work (on) for the final map?

o   discussion of final map requirements (intro/ problem statement text + sensory material)

Fieldwork: Centre Ceramique

Aim: Practice collecting sensory data / Practice using the equipment / using Roppola’s framework for exhibition space analysis

Warm up: On the way to Centre Ceramique (30 min)

Collect some sensory data that you think is interesting/representative with your equipment.

Exercises 1: Exhibition analysis (30 min analysis – 10 min discussion)

In the Centre Ceramique, in groups of 2, use Roppola’s model to frame your exhibition analysis. Pay particular attention to the sensory ‘signs’ you are focusing on for your analysis.

Exercise 2: Gathering sensory data as proof/ documentation for your analysis (30 min collecting – 10 min discussion)

In the Centre Ceramique, using the equipment from you have been introduced gather sensory data to deepen/ justify/ document your exhibition analysis.

Discussion points

– Do you have a better notion of how to collect and use sensory data in a cultural ecosystem?

– What is your favorite mode of collection?

– How to connect issue/methodology and sensory data?

By the end of the session we need final groups, topics, and ‘equipment needed’ list so we can borrow them for you from the Plant.

SELF-DIRECTED WORK

Read the material in your dropbox map topic and use it to build a bibliography to help you reflect on the topic you chose.

Self-directed fieldwork (independent work to do that week):

Aim: Practicing observing, choosing case studies, planning the walk/sensory data collection

Field work:

In your group of 2, preselect sites of inquiry related to your topic. Do a first exploratory walk taking notes/ drawings in your sensory diary.

Exercise: Use this preparatory fieldwork to devise a plan for the final map. Pay particular attention to how you want to use the sensory data (illustration/narration, argumentation, data to be analysed, etc.

SESSION 4: TUTOR GUIDED WORK

MEANINGFUL SENSORY DATA AND ANALYSIS

Meeting (1h30 in class, 1 h30 in the field, 1 h back in class):

–       Recap of last week and collect impression of self-directedwork

–       Discussion on the sensory diary (ask sensory diary scan and permission form)

Exercise: A physical mock-up map

Using a physical map of Maastricht, yarn (1 colour per team), push pins and small zine-like booklets, build a first mockup of our final digital map. You have 30 minutes to prepare your teams mockup. To populate the zines, use (and possibly transcribe or adapt) sensory data you collected in your sensory diary during the self-directed work as well as the protocols/analysis frameworks you will use for your analysis.

You will then present to the other groups (10 min per group) your part of the future digital map.

Preparation fieldwork

During the fiedwork this week Emilie and Carissa will guide you doing a specific cultural ecosystem analysis to discuss the practicality and modes of analysis. Their theme is “Conceptions of knowledge and learning in educational cultural ecosystems”.

The premise of the research/hypothesis is that various spaces of learning contains various assumptions in terms of what learning and knowledge are. How can we see this in the space? Our theoretical framework is Hein.

–       Discussion Hein text, transferability of knowledge and interdisciplinarity.

–       Distribution of recording material

Fieldwork: Law building, JVE, Conservatory, Natural history museum, University library

Aim: Consider processes (experience, describe, analyse) and protocols/theoretical framework impact on your sensory data collection.

For each of the locations (10-15 min per location) ask yourself:

–       What do you see in relation to the theme?

–       What would you record?

–       How does it relate to the theory?

–       How would you analyse the data?

–       How would try to communicate this in a sensory way (illustrate/argue/collect evidence)?

Discussion points:

Did our choice of topic/theory influence your sensory data collection (what did you focus on)?

What protocols of data collection and analysis did you follow?

Were you able to gather information/draw some conclusions/build some hypothesis?

Return to class:

Discussion points:

–       Do you have any questions/ideas for the final map that got triggered by today’s session?

–       Are there any technical difficulties to overcome?

WEEK 8: SELF-DIRECTED WORK

FINALISING THE MAP

Communication in a multisensory way

Self-directed fieldwork (independent work to do that week):

Aim: finishing your map, exploring multimodal strategies of presenting your research.

WEEK 9: PRESENTATION

REFLECTION ON EXPERIMENTS

Students are instructed to create a collective cultural ecosystem map using the website https://storymap.knightlab.com

They are encouraged to add videos, slides, images and texts.

At the end of the course the students present a complex project succinctly, evaluate the challenges of using multisensory methods to explore cultural ecosystems, and reflect on the overall experiences (lessons learnt, new knowledge and skills acquired, new perspective triggered, etc).

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/b4r651vj4ab0cnjzo0w9d/h?rlkey=1nx6nxsd8dnltxg6gt96pfgxc&e=1&dl=0