Adapting to an Online Learning Environment: A Virtual Art Exhibit
For the past two semesters in the Popular Culture & Communication course that I teach at the University of Ottawa, one of the assignments that my students have been tasked with is visually representing their understanding of how popular culture (defined as broadly or narrowly as they conceptualize it) influences their behaviour, lifestyles, passions, interests and - ultimately - their identity.
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
This assignment is meant to be a creative, reflective exercise that demonstrates not only an understanding of our course material generally but also the ability to apply this material outside of the classroom in a very specific context. It’s a sort of autoethnographic study on the impact of popular culture.
To complete the project, students are encouraged to be creative and to represent their identity in a way that makes sense to them. In the past, students have built collages, painted, drawn, and graphically (digitally) designed their posters. They’ve also cut the posters into shapes and included moveable, interactive elements. This semester, for the first time, several students decided to submit videos instead of a static poster. The poster is always anonymous and is complemented by a written component that connects the visual representation to course material
Traditionally, these posters are displayed as part of an in-person fair, where students walk around and observe, reflect and appreciate the work of their peers. I also invite Faculty and other students in the Department of Communication to attend. In the past, one of the things that students have reflected on about this experience is how we’re all similar and yet also so very different. The variety amongst the posters also demonstrate that we are active consumers of popular culture not merely passive sheep - we choose which elements of popular culture to relate to and to incorporate into ourselves.
This year, due to the coronavirus outbreak and the closure of post-secondary institutions in Canada, our poster board fair was cancelled and the assignments were submitted electronically by email and through our learning management software.
Not to be deterred, and after several requests from students who were excited to see the work of their classmates, I constructed a Virtual Art Exhibit showcasing their work.
Click on this photo to tour the Virtual Art Gallery
What are you waiting for? Grab a coffee and tour the Virtual Art Gallery!
Here are some tips for navigation:
The Virtual Exhibit is accessible on a smartphone, but I find it works best on a computer/laptop.
To travel between rooms, click on the Previous Room or Next Room buttons in the bottom left and right corners.
If you want to zoom in, click on individual posters for a closer look and then click the Back button to return to the gallery.
It's pretty data heavy and may take a moment to load all of the content in each room.
Do you need the link to Gallery again? Click here!