Beyond the Essay:
A Research Creation Exhibit
In Winter 2019 I gave an undergraduate Canadian history class two options for the major assignment. Students could either do a traditional research paper or they could do a "research creation." If they did the latter, they could choose their own output.
All projects had to be based on scholarly research. And, they had to convey the experiences of a specific social group that participated in World War I.
More than half of the course's 48 students chose the creation option. Below are samples of their work.
These projects reveal that it is possible to go outside of the parameters of the formal research paper and still conduct rigorous research. They also demonstrate that the past can be explored through a variety of media.
At the end of the term, we held a public exhibit showcasing both the projects and the papers. It was well attended, inspiring critical reflections not only on how historians present the past but also on assessment models.
Thank you to all who have agreed to have their works published here. Thanks also to Eric Schiffmann, Katlyn Richardson, Emily Thompson-Golding, and Doreen Thompson.
No Man's Land - Original Song - Tess Wiens
Indigenous Soldiers Podcast - Ian Fiddler
 Shell ShockBy Mark Macabeo. Oil on canvas. |  In the TrenchesPencil on Posterboard. By Dylan Fredlund. |
---|
 Help the Red CrossWWI Poster, rendered in cross stitch. Accompanied by information card. By Danyka Maurer. |  Soldiers' Letters HomeBox of soldiers' letters, research based fiction, by Adam Hendrickson |
---|
 Nurses in WWI: Poster PresentationPaper on Posterboard. By Tatiana Kyliuk. |  Nurses' LettersWorld War I Nurses' Letters. Paper (creative nonfiction). By Sarah Arscott. |
---|
 Ammunition box, used in the trenchesWood and metal. To scale. By Noah Suchorab. |  Home Sweet TrenchOil on canvas. By Hope Dalke. |
---|
 The Unmarked CrossResearch-based short story. By Amy Stock. |  Box of Nurses' LettersNurses' Letters from Europe. Paper (research based fiction). By Samantha Boice |
---|
 Lesson Plan: "In the Trenches"High school lesson plan. Powerpoint. By Dakota Jackson. |  Military Nurses: Poster PresentationPaper on Posterboard. By Michaela Adam. |
---|
 Box of soldiers' lettersLetters from the front. Paper (research based fiction) and wood. By Piers Hill. |  In the trenchesMixed Media. |
---|
 War DiaryNurse's Diary from World War I. Paper (research based fiction). By Hayden DeGrow. |  Public Exhibit11 April 2019, University of Regina |
---|
 Public Exhibit11 April 2019, University of Regina |  Public Exhibit11 April 2019, University of Regina |
---|
 Public Exhibit11 April 2019, University of Regina |  Public Exhibit11 April 2019, University of Regina |
---|