Teaching and Learning Anthropology

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on experiential learning have been felt by students interested in forensic anthropology casework and lab training. Without access to labs and with cancellations of courses related to hands-on learning like human osteology and forensic anthropology, students may not receive critical training necessary in their fields of interest. In this paper, we explore one potential option for engaged forensic anthropology research: the creation of skeletal research surveys that students can design and disseminate to law enforcement to better understand the nature of forensic casework in their own states. Students reported a high satisfaction rate with these survey projects and were able to build networks that helped them refine their post-graduation education and career goals. By formulating questions, creating surveys, submitting to the review board, and synthesizing data, students were able to explore forensic topics without entering a traditional lab setting during times of university lockdowns. The data from this research can be used by forensic anthropology students and professors in the future to better assist law enforcement with the identification of skeletal remains. The surveys described in this paper are easily replicated by other professors seeking to provide students with low-cost, remote forensic research opportunities.

First-generation college students (students whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree) are a growing population within U.S. colleges. These students often belong to historically underrepresented populations including racial and ethnic minority groups and those with lower socioeconomic status. This paper discusses a project to redesign introductory anthropology courses to be more “first-generation friendly.” Changes discussed include creating a welcoming classroom climate, providing clear expectations and feedback, integrating Universal Design for Learning, rethinking course content, and creating plans for critical self-reflection. We conclude by discussing the impact of our changes and plans for future work.

The four fields within American anthropology are periodically under discussion, especially when it comes to applying them in a holistic way. Various roadblocks, both institutional and personal, currently prevent greater development of holistic studies. This paper discusses new ideas for teaching anthropology holistically, based on a four-field model, as well as ways in which departments could be reorganized to foster a four-field approach in students.

Students in higher education are facing challenges with paying for their education. Cost of course materials, primarily textbooks, continues to be a financial concern. As a result, students often delay or simply do not purchase the materials they need to perform well in courses. Openly licensed materials are becoming popular because they are free to the student, accessible from the first day of class, and can be modified by the teacher. In this study, an open textbook was co-created by two anthropology faculty with the support of two instructional designers for an introductory anthropology course at a large university in the United States. A survey was given to 1,402 students to gauge satisfaction with the textbook and elicit feedback, and final grades were compared pre- and post- open textbook implementation. In general, student satisfaction was high and poor grades declined. In conclusion, we propose recommendations for those who are interested in implementing more affordable course materials in their anthropology classes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced myriad challenges for teaching anthropology and has altered the academic landscape for years to come. However, it has also brought new opportunities for improving coursework with creative digital methods and online resources. Can an entire anthropology course be taught using only freely available web-based materials? If so, what could it look like? I embarked on this digital learning experiment hoping to create open educational resources (OERs) that could be shared and adapted by anthropology instructors. Aimed at introducing students to the fundamentals of cultural anthropology, Ethnographic Insights Across Cultures is an engaging 13-week syllabus supported by carefully curated readings, videos, and activities. I reflect on designing these resources as adaptable tools for online or hybrid learning during the pandemic and share feedback from instructors and students who have used them. Finally, I suggest that flexible approaches to education implemented out of necessity to buffer the uncertainty and disruption of a global public health crisis will continue to have long-term effects on teaching and learning anthropology.

At the height of the pandemic, schools across the country shut down, shifting classrooms to a remote learning modality. While the use of emergency remote teaching (ERT) provided an alternative for schools, it was a difficult transition. Online learning is often compared with ERT, although the two are different. Where ERT is a quick and temporary resolution, online learning is a long-term investment developed to provide a quality educational experience for students. Both are necessary lifelines to learning, but online education is vital in multiple ways. Rather than a substitute, it is a core fixture on the higher ed landscape, with more and more students, faculty, and administrators recognizing online education's benefits. This essay explores remote and online learning as lifelines in different contexts. It reflects on the impact of online learning from three views: a personal account, growing demands for contingent faculty, and the diverse needs of non-traditional students.

This essay is a reflective letter from myself, the author, an undergraduate anthropology student at Rollins College in Central Florida, to pioneering anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. Arising out of an anthropology course on the U.S. South, I reflect on Hurston’s foundational contributions to the discipline of anthropology, to her hometown of Eatonville, Florida, and to my own institution, Rollins College, where Hurston directed and organized stage performances of folklore in the early 1930s. Despite Hurston’s works falling into obscurity towards the end of her life and the decades following, her contributions to Southern literature and anthropology survive to this day, inspiring scholars, Eatonville residents, and students alike to pursue more decolonial methodologies in ethnographic research. I ask Hurston many of my unanswered questions about her life, relationships, fieldwork methods, and messages from her works. I end with a call for anthropology students to continue stewarding Hurston’s legacy by engaging further with her work as an exemplary founder of American anthropology.