TRAD 104: Museums as Cultural and Community Institutions
Proposal for Tier One, 3-23-10
TRAD 104: Museums as Cultural and Community Institutions introduces students to the roles
and cultural functions of museums within the Unites States and beyond, including Europe, Latin
America, and Australasia. The course will also examine the influence of museums within local
community and environmental settings.
Lynn Beudert
lynng@email.arizona.edu
626-7639
The writing component will include (a) two written papers, (b) responses to readings and museum
visits, (c) a written proposal for the final project, and (d) a statement/paper accompanying the final
project. The two tests will also involve partial writing assignments.
This course will examine museums as cultural institutions within and outside the U.S., including
Europe, Australasia and Latin America. It will also look at diverse and ethnic museums, as well as
the cultural artifacts within them.
The students will be assessed by (a) various written/numerical rubrics for the papers and responses to
readings, (b) test scores, and (c) participation and student self-evaluation measures. Overall, the
assessment criteria include: the development of ideas; originality and ingenuity and reflectivity;
intellectual and practical problem solving; the level at which the criteria of the assignment are met students must "go beyond" the specifics of the assignment to receive an "A"; the use and application
of material from the course; thoroughness of responses; crafting of written work (including
punctuation, spelling, and grammar), as well as the expression of ideas.
Students will be asked to write about and discuss ideas that relate to higher level thinking, such as the
application of ideas, the evaluation and synthesis of ideas and course content. They will examine
course content from differing and alternative viewpoints, look critically at various cultural theories,
and develop a final project that critically and creatively demonstrates their understanding of, and
ability to apply, analyze and synthesize course concepts.
Students will be engaged in group and cooperative learning assignments, working with a partner,
undertaking a final group project, presenting to the class, as well as working on the Internet. Even
thought this is a lecture course, students will be expected to participate as active learners.
Students will be given guidelines for writing and researching papers and using the library and
Internet. They will be asked to evaluate and synthesize course content in meaningful and thoughtful
ways.
The materials will be available on D2L.