FAQ for Instructors: Class Collections Visits
What happens during a class collections visit?
While the lesson plan and learning goals will vary, the basic format of a class collections visit involves students engaging with a selection of objects from the Smart Museum’s collection— over 17,000 items—that relate to the central themes and questions of your course.
Do I need to choose between the Education Study Room and the Collections Research Lab?
No, Feitler Center staff will assign your class to one of these spaces based on the needs of your course, the nature of the objects being accessed, and staff and space availabilities.
How can I request a class collections visit?
All class collections visits should be requested at the button below. Requests should be submitted at least one week before the academic quarter begins and will be reviewed by Smart staff to ensure that the visit is a productive learning experience for students.
Does the Smart have objects that are relevant to my course?
Start by searching the Smart’s collection at the button below. Smart staff are also excited to help you choose objects and support the design of learning experiences around them.
Please contact Cooper Long, Museum Educator, Academic Initiatives at [email protected].
What is an appropriate number of objects for a visit?
Six to eight objects is an ideal range for the typical 80-minute class session.
What is my role as an instructor during a class collections visit?
Instructors can play different roles during a class collections visit, though we find that the best learning experiences are those where the instructor is actively and consistently involved in the lesson. Many instructors ask for an introduction from Smart staff and then lead the session themselves. In other cases, instructors co-teach with Smart staff. If you are teaching at the Smart for the first time, we will meet to discuss your role in the visit and its overall format.
What should my students do when they arrive at the Smart?
Students should store their bags and coats in lockers near the entrance, then gather in the lobby. A museum educator will lead students to the designated teaching space as a large group. Students arriving late can be directed to join the class by the Smart’s Guest Services.
Are there special rules during a class collections visit?
Pencils only, please. (We can provide students with pencils, paper, and clipboards.) All food and drinks, including water, must be left behind in lockers. Students should also be careful not to touch the objects or lean on art supports like walls and ledges. Photographs without flash are permitted. We will review these guidelines with students at the beginning of the session.
Can I project images from my computer during the visit?
The Smart’s teaching spaces are equipped with projectors. However, their use requires advance notice. The projector screen also reduces the space available for displaying objects, and so the choice to use a projector may mean that the object list needs to be consolidated.
Will students have access to printed information about the objects during the visit?
In advance of the visit, we will provide a digital copy of the object list with basic information (e.g. title, date, artist/maker) about each work. We will also provide three physical copies of the object list to be passed around during the session. In the interest of sustainability, if you would like a physical copy of the object list for every member of the class, we ask that you please print these copies yourself and bring them to the Smart.
Is there anything that I need to do after my class collections visit is over?
We would be grateful for your responses to a short post-visit survey, delivered via email, asking about your experience and any changes that you would make in a return visit.