Undergrad co-authors research on using monuments as a teaching tool

One student's quest to complete a practicum in a second-year human rights course merged with an instructor's interest in using monuments as a teaching tool. This led to the publication of academic research entitled, Unsettling the Familiar: Experiential Human Rights Learning through Civic Monuments at the University of Winnipeg. This paper, published in the Journal of Human Rights Practicein September, explores the impact of experiential learning in the human rights classroom.

Madison Zienkiewicz (BA 18) was a second-year student at The University of Winnipeg Global College when she began thinking about doing her mandatory practicum on documenting the people of Winnipeg, with a focus on downtown. "Originally, I wanted to explore the community and the people living in Winnipeg from a 'Humans in New York' photography approach. I wanted to look at the people in downtown Winnipeg and see how we live and how we see each other through photography."

At the same time, Dr. Kristi Kenyon, who is now the Director of the Human Rights Program and associate professor at Global College, and then-advisor to Madison, had been thinking about how she could use monuments as a teaching tool in her classroom. Dr. Kenyon wanted to use monuments to explore the ways in which history is written and create an experiential learning opportunity that was low-cost and local.

After many consultations and conversations, Madison's and Dr. Kenyon's ideas merged. Madison researched and photographed 87 monuments around Winnipeg, centered on monuments of Louis Riel.

The impact and breadth of the practicum experience ended up being more powerful than imagined. The assignment quickly made its way into the curriculum of a second-year course, History of Human Rights in Canada. As the course and assignment grew in popularity, the opportunity to research the impact of experiential learning in the classroom emerged.

Using monuments to spark conversation

"It was a very unusual scenario," said Dr. Kenyon, who was a co-author on the paper with Zienkiewicz, Fiona Vowell (BA 21) and Dr. Saad Ahmad Khan. "Monuments carry particular narratives, and particular ways of remembering or not remembering history," she said. "I was starting to think about experiential learning in a practical way and how these monuments show how some stories are remembered, and others are not."

"Madison's project proved very useful. She put together this book of pictures and a presentation that I was able to use in teaching." Madison sometimes returns as a guest lecturer to talk about her experience.

Dr. Kenyon said the project as a whole was a wonderful experience for both students, graduates, and the instructors. The assignment ended up sparking conversations among the students both within the human rights classroom and beyond. "We discovered that students went from being undecided about the significance of monuments, to having pretty clear opinions." Beyond the topic of monuments, she said students came out having a different idea about expertise and understanding the diversification of who is an expert.

"Beforehand, students thought only people in positions of power might be qualified to think about the appropriateness of monuments. Students learned it mattered less about who you are, and more about putting in the time to learn more about the stories or lack of stories surrounding the monuments," said Dr. Kenyon. "Their lived experience and the fact they are a member of the community matters in the conversation. This resulted in students developing a stronger capacity for having a voice. They developed a belief they had a place to be involved in the conversations about human rights which extends far beyond the classroom."

In addition to building their voice, students developed an understanding of the idea that history can be many histories. "There isn't just one story," said Dr. Kenyon. "There are a lot of stories, and maybe we are not seeing all the stories which could be telling us about power and injustice."

Madison agreed the impact of the assignment extends far beyond the classroom. "I am a nerd about monuments now," she said. "I'll be driving past a monument, and someone will ask me about it, and I can spew off facts. There is so much more to monuments than what the plaque says."

Experiential learning in a human rights classroom

In addition to empowering the students, Dr. Kenyon said the assignment, "laid the groundwork for us to look at the value of low-cost experiential learning in the classroom and how it can have major impacts in a human rights discussion."

"It's really important to connect research and teaching because I think it's important for students to be exposed to that thrill of discovery."

Dr. Kristi Kenyon

She said experiential learning can be a fantastic way to learn about human rights. "It was important to talk about who can access this experience and how to incorporate it into the program for students who have a lot of dimensions in their lives. Students cannot always go to another country for three months to have a human rights learning experience."

The study looked at the impact of the monumental classroom activity over 13-course sessions during a two-year period. It was supported by the University of Winnipeg Experiential Learning Fund. Fiona Vowell(BA 21), also a graduate of Global College,was the Research Assistantfor the project andtasked with administering surveys and compiling the results.

Dr. Kenyon said the experience of student collaboration and researching teaching human rights locally was groundbreaking. "It's really important to connect research and teaching because I think it's important for students to be exposed to that thrill of discovery."

Madison said being published as a co-author in an academic paper was unlike anything she'd experienced. "It was really amazing," said Madison, who completed her degree in conflict resolution and human rights in 2018. "I only have an undergrad degree, and to be published is pretty cool!"

The Global College Human Rights undergraduate program at The University of Winnipeg is the only program of its kind in Western Canada. The program fosters global citizenship and engagement in human rights, development practice, and peace and conflict studies through interdisciplinary teaching, research, dialogue and action in local and global communities.

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