Introductory description

This module is for anyone with an interest in what good Public Engagement in Classics looks like and wants to develop these skills themselves. Picturing Public Engagement as a kind of storytelling, this module will focus on the practical application of Engagement, looking at what good engagement is, how engagement can be assessed, different methods of engagement for different audiences, and why engagement is a crucial skill for any Classicist. As the central core to this module, students will undertake their own engagement project and have the opportunity to work with institutions outside the University in developing their project.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• Week 1: What is Public Engagement in Classics and why does it matter?
• Week 2: Who are the ‘public’? Different ‘publics’ and types of engagement in Classics
• Week 3: The work of the WCN/WIE. Developing a reflective blog post on general issues in Classics Public Engagement [assessment part one]
• Week 4: Public Engagement with Research. Seminar 1 – Developing a research-driven Classics engagement project
• Week 5: Engagement techniques, skills, planning; video skills training for vlog/engagement project assessment. Planning of online video reflective piece on specific question on Classics Public Engagement [assessment part two]
• Week 6: Reading Week
• Week 7: Engaging with schools and museums Seminar 2 – Developing a Classics engagement project [assessment part three]
• Week 8: Digital engagement and creation of online resources; Developing a Classics engagement project continued [assessment part three continued]
• Week 9: Public Engagement in film and media
• Week 10: How do we assess Public Engagement? Feedback and assessment

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Have an understanding of the importance of Public Engagement in Classics and what good PE is
• Have an understanding and experience of the different types of engagement used for engaging different audiences
• Have developed a range of practical engagement skills
• Have developed experience of working within a team on an engagement project
• Have developed practical knowledge of assessment methods in engagement
• Have experience of developing and carrying out an engagement project
• Have developed skills in undertaking research and presenting this to a non-academic audience
• Help you better articulate the relevance of your own subject area to society, and identify to which parts of society your subject area has most relevance
• Have developed transferable skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, information literacy, professionalism, teamwork, and time management

Indicative reading list

Classics Engagement

• Bridges, E. Public Engagement with Classics Research in the UK: A Survey https://cucd.blogs.sas.ac.uk/files/2019/10/BRIDGES-Public-Engagement-in-Classics-Survey.pdf
• Scott, M. Students engage: the future of engagement at universities https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/11/11/students-engage-the-future-of-engagement-at-universities/
• ICS - https://port.sas.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=170 - The following are some suggestions for further reading. As this guide was written for the Institute of Classical Studies, some of the resources listed here specifically focus on public engagement work connected with Classics and related disciplines. Do bear in mind, however, that the formats which are used for public engagement events need not be specific to particular disciplines; most formats can be adapted to suit your own research, regardless of your field of specialism.
• Classics-themed resources: The Institute of Classical Studies (ICS) blog features reports on many public engagement projects supported or delivered by the ICS.
• Emma Bridges report on a survey conducted on behalf of the ICS in 2019 gives an overview of public engagement activities carried out by UK-based researchers in Classics and related disciplines. It also presents statistics relating to where these activities were being carried out, by whom, and with what kinds of funding and other support.

Storytelling

• Storr, Will The Science of Storytelling

General PE Resources

• Resources for public engagement more generally: The Being Human festival website provides information about this national festival of humanities research as well as resources designed to help researchers to devise public engagement activities. These include case studies focusing on successful events at previous festivals, and toolkits which are designed to help with planning public engagement activities. Topics covered by the toolkits include: focusing on your audience; working with a partner; finding the right venue; finding the right format; and working on a budget.
• WIE website https://warwick.ac.uk/wie/
• WCN website https://warwick.ac.uk/wcn/
• The website of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) features a range of resources relating to public engagement, including case studies of projects, advice on carrying out your own activities, and information about support available for public engagement professionals and researchers.
• This UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) vision document produced in 2019 sets out UKRI’s vision for public engagement. Further sources of information relating to public engagement with research are also accessible via UKRI’s website.
• If you are based in a higher education institution, you should also enquire there as to what support is available for researchers wishing to undertake public engagement; for example, many institutions employ public engagement professionals who can provide guidance, and some also have funding available specifically for these activities.
• Education outreach and public engagement / Erin L. Dolan (2008)

PE and Social Media

• https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/do-engagement/choose-method/social-media
• https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/do-engagement/choose-method/websites
• Yhnell, E., Smith, H.A., Walker, K. and Whitehouse, C.L. (2019) ‘#WhyWeDoResearch: Raising research awareness and opportunities for patients, public and staff through Twitter’. Research for All, 3 (1): 7–17. DOI https://doi.org/10.18546/RFA.03.1.02

Evaluating PE

• https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/evaluating_your_public_engagement_work.pdf
• Hart, Angie; Northmore, Simon, Auditing and Evaluating University-Community Engagement: Lessons from a UK Case Study, Higher Education Quarterly. Jan2011, Vol. 65 Issue 1, p34-58.
• Irwin et al, ‘The good, the bad and the perfect: Criticizing engagement practice’, Social Studies of Science (Sage Publications, Ltd.). Feb2013, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p118-135.

Skills

• A student's guide to presentations: making your presentation count / Barbara Chivers and Michael Shoolbred (2007).
• https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/ writing_a_business_case_for_public_engagement.pdf
• https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/about-engagement/who-are-publichttps://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/do-engagement/partnership-working

Working with museums and galleries

• Ashley, Susan L.T., ‘Engage the World’: examining conflicts of engagement in public museums, International Journal of Cultural Policy; May2014, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p261-280https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/do-engagement/partnership-working/working-with-museums-and-libraries

Research element

The engagement project which the students will undertake may require research in an area of classics to be communicated through the project, depending on the specifics of the project chosen. It may be that students have to undergo new research, or they may use research already avaialble. Equally, the engagement project may itself provide information which may then be the subject of research. A research element will be present in the choice of subject and audience for the project as well.

Interdisciplinary

The use of new technology is especially important in this course on Public Engagement in Classics. While some students will take the opportunity to gain experience of the heritage and educational sectors, we are hoping that some projects will take advantage of our Departmental links to Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and engage with technologies such as laser scanning and 3D printing. We are also open for our students to forge links with other Warwick Departments.

Subject specific skills

Students will develop an understanding of the importance of Public Engagement in Classics and what good PE is; have an understanding and experience of the different types of engagement used for engaging different audiences; develop a range of practical engagement skills; develop experience of working within a team on an engagement project; develop practical knowledge of assessment methods in engagement ; have experience of developing and carrying out an engagement project; and will develop skills in undertaking research and presenting this to a non-academic audience. Students will also be able to better articulate the relevance of their subject area to society, and identify which parts of societytheir subject area has most relevance for.

Transferable skills

Critical thinking
Problem solving
Communication in various media
Information literacy
Professionalism
Teamwork
Time management