SOL PLAATJE UNIVERSITY AS A CASE STUDY FOR DECOLONIALITY: OBJECT-BASED LEARNING AS APPLIED TO HERITAGE STUDIES

Garth Benneyworth, Lourenço C. Pinto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Heritage Studies as a discipline at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa, commenced in 2015, with the introduction of a one-year Higher Certificate in Heritage Studies. Other programmes followed, including the three-year undergraduate BA degree, with Heritage Studies as a major elective in 2016. Postgraduate programmes in Heritage Studies continue to commence in 2020. These are built on the foundation of the Higher Certificate in Heritage Studies, in itself a post-matriculation tertiary qualification, and the experiences and lessons learnt in teaching and developing a decolonised curriculum. Through the reciprocal processes of teaching and learning experienced during the Higher Certificate in Heritage Studies, it was found that museums and spaces of public culture provide tools within the available heritage landscape with which to teach and engage. Working with students at the beginning of their tertiary experience, using a current methodology better informs the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This paper outlines a teaching and learning experience while building the heritage programme at Sol Plaatje University. A case study testing this, encouraging decoloniality in object and museum literacy, was undertaken at a national art museum.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalSouth African Museums Association Bulletin
Volume41
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2019

Keywords

  • decolonisation
  • Museology
  • museum literacy
  • object-based learning
  • pedagogy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Conservation
  • History
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Museology

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