IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

From the outset, I faced challenges teaching an undergraduate course on graphic design of the Middle East. The region’s diversity, complex histories, and political landscape created significant teaching hurdles. Resources were, and continue to be, limited and scattered. Additionally, my understanding of design histories had been shaped by a cultural background and academic training heavily influenced by Western-centric design studies. Nevertheless, I pursued pedagogical methods that transformed these challenges into opportunities. Student-led inquiry and Research-based learning formed the foundation of the course, supported by humanistic theory, decoloniality, historical inquiry, positionality, and emotion. This paper analyzes the course’s evolution over six years (2019 to 2024) through Critical Reflection and Narrative Inquiry, highlighting successes, setbacks, and oversights. During this time, I worked with 95 students; together, we collected images and information, curated small collections, and produced visual and written analyses of regional visual culture with a focus on graphic design. In reflecting on the learning experiences from the course, I note numerous examples, resources, and research produced, suggesting avenues for further exploration. I provide insight into the interests and perspectives of young Lebanese design students during particularly difficult years in the country. I also caution against reverting to teacher-centered learning and emphasize the need to continually challenge coloniality in every aspect of pedagogy, going beyond notions of inclusion. Furthermore, this paper lays the groundwork for educators planning to teach this course or develop strategies for teaching similar resource-scarce subjects tied to contested histories, aiming to challenge coloniality.