IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION A

Abstract

This paper explores the potential of book arts (zines and artists’ books) for the critical imagination and for transforming literary studies. I share techniques that I used in designing a creative assessment in a 2nd year university course on Shakespeare and His Contemporaries in which students undertook a creative response to one of the set texts (by creating a zine/artist’s book, creative journal or rewrite of a scene) and included a reflection on their process. The result was enhanced student engagement and opening up new perspectives on the texts. The students’ work led to an exhibition of the zines and artists’ books at the Fryer library, UQ. I also outline techniques I used to engage with The Tempest by creating an artist’s book from old maps to explore the spaces of the play. These techniques have the potential to bring artistic mindsets into literary criticism, creating new spaces to foster student engagement and scholarly perspectives. These techniques disincentivize the use of Gen-AI, and foreground creativity. The techniques can be used as part of scaffolding for research projects and for brainstorming ideas. They also constitute inclusive learning design by accommodating diverse learning modes and testing student learning in new ways, thus aligning with Universal Design for Learning concepts. Increasingly, universities are including creativity as part of their Graduate Attributes. This paper aims to inspire and equip students, teachers and scholars with ideas for creative techniques using book arts to transform literary studies.