University Campus and Collections Combining as A Cultural Landscape – Nudging and Critical Thinking

Many university collections have special connections with places and institutions. Both the collections and the places speak volume about the institutions. They tell stories about identities, traditions, history, practices, assumptions and myths connected to an institution for those who tune in. In this paper we will discuss how combining the collections and the university campuses can be used to create contemplation and raise questions about the university itself amongst students.

How can we use collections to create a cultural landscape at the university which increases ownership of own education? Can we make students recognize and contemplate unseen boundaries, practices and identities, which university life is installing into them? Can we turn campuses into giant teaching tools, which will confront and nudge the students as they use the spaces? The paper will also discuss how to approach university students as an audience.

They have specialist knowledge in specific topics. Should we treat them as a unique audience type and can we use the activity, dialogue and participation tools, which are seen as important for constructing new knowledge in museums? Can we use the bodily experience of the place? Can we use social media, exhibits and other means to create a cultural landscape at university with more than three dimensions? Drawing on experiences from the work of the History of Technology division at DTU we will examine these questions.