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.

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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.