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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Virtual Research Geriatric Fellowship for Unmatched Medical Graduates
With COVID19 pandemic most, if not all, research activities placed on hold in 2020. The need for remote teaching and working was obvious. The increase number of older adults in the US and world wide place geriatric medicine as a priority in addressing health need in the near future. According to Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC] there is increasing number of medical graduates who do not match to any residency program in the US. We started a virtual research fellowship in geriatric medicine as a tool to empower some of those unmatched medical graduates in Michigan state and other areas using funds provided by The Pearl J. Aldrich Endowment in Gerontology/Michigan State University. One of the goals of this fellowship is to train these graduates to know the basic steps of any research work and how to use the tools available in any research environment. We hope that these students understand the methodology of identifying a problem that faces older adults, and then carry the required steps to address and solve such problem in a systematic way. Currently we have four teams, who are involved in different research projects. We have submitted 10 abstracts to 2 different meetings, and so far 6 were accepted for oral presentation. We targeted The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Some of the topics address include COVID19 and its impact on the elderly. During this session our team will share our experience.
To access a PDF of the "Virtual Research Geriatric Fellowship for Unmatched Medical Graduates" poster, click here.Description of the PosterTitle: Virtual Geriatric Research Fellowship
Author: Nadir Abdelrahman, MD, CMD
Geriatric Division, Dept of Family Medicine, MSU
Introduction:
Between 2020 and 2030, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million 1.
The Association of American Medical Colleges expects that an additional 42,600 to 121,300 doctors will be needed by 2030 2.
There is a huge need for geriatric-trained health care providers 3.
Each year, there are more than 8 thousand Unmatched medical graduates [UMGs] in the US. Most of them are international medical graduates.
Aim:
The aim of this fellowship is to empower UMGs by improving their knowledge, skills, and experiences in geriatric medicine.
Curriculum Development:
This curriculum was developed based on Entering Research course.
The primary goals of this fellowship are to create a supportive learning environment to introduce UMGs to the culture of research and to teach them valuable skills needed to become effective researchers.
The fellowship was designed to help medical graduates find a research mentor, explore the culture of research, write a research project proposal, and begin doing research.
They informally share their research experiences and learn about the diversity of experiences available through their peers.
Through virtual meetings, research basics, communication skills and common geriatric principles were reviewed.
Early discussions included current pandemic topics ranging from COVID19 incidence, hospitalization and mortality to prevention and vaccination.
The content of these discussions came from the students, and their engagement in the weekly, 2-hour-long meetings.
The course facilitator provided a framework for the discussions, relevant background reading materials, and structured assignments designed to help students develop positive relationships with their research mentors, define themselves as a member of the research community, and understand and communicate their research.
Description of Curriculum
The following tasks were identified for this program
Recognize the research ethics principles.
Select a research topic.
Identify research question(s).
Describe various types of study designs.
Select appropriate study design.
Define study population.
Take an appropriate study sample.
Enumerate various study variables.
Discern various types of errors, including bias.
Identify confounding factors.
Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
Prepare for data management.
Set a work plan with time, budget, and a plan for dissemination.
Results of Implementation
A total of 6 Virtual posters were accepted in 2 national conferences: American Medical Director Association/The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC21: 2 virtual posters) and American Geriatrics Society (AGS21: 4 virtual posters).
Eight of the fellows were matched into residency programs starting July 2021.
Discussion
This virtual research fellowship in geriatric medicine is considered unique and innovative as there is an immediate need for geriatric-trained health care providers.
The conceptual framework allows training program directors to identify and select appropriate activities to use with their trainees based on need and career stage.
Activities were designed to teach UMGs principles of research, research design, and critical evaluation of results while also giving them practice with the real-world experience of creating and presenting posters in virtual environment.
This fellowship achieved its goals using online tools.
In the coming year, we hope to expand this concept, and establish it as a model for implementation at other institutions.
Figure 1.
The four-box model
Disclosure
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
This fellowship is supported by:
The Pearl J. Aldrich Endowment in Aging
Demographic Changes and Aging Population – RHIhub Aging https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/1/demographics
Healthcare Suers When Medical School Graduates Don’t Match https://www.insightintodiversity.com/healthcare-suffers-when-medical-school-graduates-dont-match/
Record number of unmatched medical graduates. CMAJ 2017 May 29;189:E758-9. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1095432
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. (1969). Management of organizational behaviour: Utilizing human resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Tasks and Team approach
Fellows were grouped into teams.
Different tasks were assigned to each fellow.
Teams leaders encouraged individual fellows
Projects identified and project leaders assured completion of each Poster.
Fellows learned the basics of literature review, statistical analysis (using SPSS) and reference management (e.g EndNote)
Situational leadership skills and teams were incorporated using the four-box model 4 (See Figure 1)
References
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=nursingposters
https://slideplayer.com/slide/6319238/
https://www.mghihp.edu/poster-presentations-age-zoom
To access a PDF of the "Virtual Research Geriatric Fellowship for Unmatched Medical Graduates" poster, click here.Description of the PosterTitle: Virtual Geriatric Research Fellowship
Author: Nadir Abdelrahman, MD, CMD
Geriatric Division, Dept of Family Medicine, MSU
Introduction:
Between 2020 and 2030, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million 1.
The Association of American Medical Colleges expects that an additional 42,600 to 121,300 doctors will be needed by 2030 2.
There is a huge need for geriatric-trained health care providers 3.
Each year, there are more than 8 thousand Unmatched medical graduates [UMGs] in the US. Most of them are international medical graduates.
Aim:
The aim of this fellowship is to empower UMGs by improving their knowledge, skills, and experiences in geriatric medicine.
Curriculum Development:
This curriculum was developed based on Entering Research course.
The primary goals of this fellowship are to create a supportive learning environment to introduce UMGs to the culture of research and to teach them valuable skills needed to become effective researchers.
The fellowship was designed to help medical graduates find a research mentor, explore the culture of research, write a research project proposal, and begin doing research.
They informally share their research experiences and learn about the diversity of experiences available through their peers.
Through virtual meetings, research basics, communication skills and common geriatric principles were reviewed.
Early discussions included current pandemic topics ranging from COVID19 incidence, hospitalization and mortality to prevention and vaccination.
The content of these discussions came from the students, and their engagement in the weekly, 2-hour-long meetings.
The course facilitator provided a framework for the discussions, relevant background reading materials, and structured assignments designed to help students develop positive relationships with their research mentors, define themselves as a member of the research community, and understand and communicate their research.
Description of Curriculum
The following tasks were identified for this program
Recognize the research ethics principles.
Select a research topic.
Identify research question(s).
Describe various types of study designs.
Select appropriate study design.
Define study population.
Take an appropriate study sample.
Enumerate various study variables.
Discern various types of errors, including bias.
Identify confounding factors.
Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
Prepare for data management.
Set a work plan with time, budget, and a plan for dissemination.
Results of Implementation
A total of 6 Virtual posters were accepted in 2 national conferences: American Medical Director Association/The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC21: 2 virtual posters) and American Geriatrics Society (AGS21: 4 virtual posters).
Eight of the fellows were matched into residency programs starting July 2021.
Discussion
This virtual research fellowship in geriatric medicine is considered unique and innovative as there is an immediate need for geriatric-trained health care providers.
The conceptual framework allows training program directors to identify and select appropriate activities to use with their trainees based on need and career stage.
Activities were designed to teach UMGs principles of research, research design, and critical evaluation of results while also giving them practice with the real-world experience of creating and presenting posters in virtual environment.
This fellowship achieved its goals using online tools.
In the coming year, we hope to expand this concept, and establish it as a model for implementation at other institutions.
Figure 1.
The four-box model
Disclosure
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
This fellowship is supported by:
The Pearl J. Aldrich Endowment in Aging
Demographic Changes and Aging Population – RHIhub Aging https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/1/demographics
Healthcare Suers When Medical School Graduates Don’t Match https://www.insightintodiversity.com/healthcare-suffers-when-medical-school-graduates-dont-match/
Record number of unmatched medical graduates. CMAJ 2017 May 29;189:E758-9. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1095432
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. (1969). Management of organizational behaviour: Utilizing human resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Tasks and Team approach
Fellows were grouped into teams.
Different tasks were assigned to each fellow.
Teams leaders encouraged individual fellows
Projects identified and project leaders assured completion of each Poster.
Fellows learned the basics of literature review, statistical analysis (using SPSS) and reference management (e.g EndNote)
Situational leadership skills and teams were incorporated using the four-box model 4 (See Figure 1)
References
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=nursingposters
https://slideplayer.com/slide/6319238/
https://www.mghihp.edu/poster-presentations-age-zoom
Authored by:
Nadir Abdelrahman, Sumi Dey

Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Benefits of Teaching a Large Course Using a Flipped Zoom Classroom
In Fall 2020, we conducted CSE 260 (Discrete Mathematics) as a flipped class, where students were expected to watch videos before class so that they could use class time to work together to solve problems. This class covers foundational mathematics for computer science and computer engineering students. Students need a lot of practice to master the methods and concepts. Unfortunately, these problems do not provide an instant feedback mechanism similar to programming projects. A flipped class where students work together in a group, along with regular assistance by the instructional team, provides such a mechanism. We surveyed students to gather their impressions on the course. Most students liked the flipped class structure and generally preferred it to a traditional lecture format. Furthermore, students reported it helped them develop friendships, something difficult to achieve in the Covid-era.
To access a PDF of the "Benefits of Teaching a Large Course Using a Flipped Zoom Classroom" poster, click here.Description of the Poster
CSE 260 Flipped Class (Lessons Learned)
Sandeep Kulkarni and Eric Torng
CSE 260: Discrete Mathematics
Topics Covered:
Propositional and predicate logic
Set Theory
Elementary Number theory and its applications to cryptography
Mathematical Induction
Counting and probability
Relations
Role in Curriculum
Foundational mathematics for computer science
Analog to calculus (continuous mathematics) for engineering and natural sciences
Why Flipped Class
Students need lots of practice to master the methods and concepts
Discrete math problems do not provide instant feedback to students if they do something wrong (unlike some programming errors such as a program failing to compile), so doing problems in class in groups helps students get quick feedback on any mistakes
For Fall 2020, student groups not only improved learning, they also created a sense of community for students who participated regularly.
80% of students responding to an end of semester survey reported they developed friendships through the homework groups
Flipped Class Design
Class enrollment roughly 200 (10-20% were outside the US, several in Asia)
Instructional Team
2 faculty, 6 TAs/ULAs
Online videos covered the core concepts
Each video had an associated homework assignment that would be worked on in class by student groups
Each video had an associated online quiz that every student was required to complete before working on the associated homework in class in groups
Homework group composition
20 groups, approximately 10 students per group
Group creation started about a month before the first class
Each student was asked to fill out a survey that asked two main things
Do you request specific group partners?
15% of students made such requests
What is your self-perceived math background and ability to lead a group discussion?
60% of students filled out the survey
Groups were created based on these responses (group partner requests and balancing self-perceived ability)
Groups did not change
Homework group technical support
Groups had a shared Google drive space for working on assignments
Groups had predefined Zoom breakout rooms
Some issues due to Zoom max of 200 participants for predefined breakout rooms
First Week Activities
The first week was focused on group work logistics and the daily structure
We discussed group roles and group dynamics
We had students practice their group collaboration on ungraded simple math exercises
We had several technical issues the first week including having to move roughly 80 students rather than the anticipated 20 students to their predefined Zoom breakout rooms
Daily Structure
At the end of every class, each group submitted a survey to identify (1) difficulties encountered, (2) their current status in solving the homework problems, (3) and their assessment of the group collaboration.
Before the next class, we prepared a few slides summarizing the responses in all three dimensions along with 2-3 quoted comments that best captured the current student sentiment.
At the start of the next class, we spent roughly 20 minutes covering those slides.
Afterwards, groups began their collaborative work in their assigned breakout rooms
The instructional team moved through the groups to help as needed for both content and to enforce good group dynamics.
The work done in class was submitted as (lightly graded) homework to ensure that it was completed
Common Difficulties
Internet issues
Some students not watching the videos before class
Freeloaders: some students not participating on a regular basis but getting the same homework grade leads to resentment from those that do participate.
Groups were not perfectly synchronized; leading groups might be 2-3 assignments ahead of trailing groups.
Lessons Learned
# instructional staff needs to be about 1/3 # of groups
This implies we can have at most ~20 groups with current instructional staff size
Need better mechanisms to address freeloaders
Perhaps more frequent individual assessments to ensure all students are participating and learning
Each class/week must have specific deliverables to ensure group synchronization
Stricter enforcement of requirements to watch videos before class
Survey
Administered by Qualtrics
Roughly 1/3 of students (65) responded
Selected Comments
I think the flipped model is much more effective when it has to be online and potentially I think it could work when in person classes are able to be taught again. I think some students learn a bit differently than others so I think having the option of flipped classes (maybe every other semester) could be beneficial to some and hindering to others.
I feel like there would be more participation if the flipped class happened in person rather than zoom. People would likely hold themselves more accountable.
I think the reason group work helped me learn was because it was over zoom. This way everyone is able to see a screen and hear each other. If it had been an in-person flipped class it would have been more difficult to communicate with such a large group, so groups would have to be smaller. The people sitting furthest away from wherever the work is being done would not participate. I think I learned the most when I was doing problems as a group.
Flipped classroom in person is very nice. For example CMSE 201, 202 and STT 180 all do very nice jobs of balancing the in class work and the pout of class lecture. Also, having TA's walking around to help is very nice.
Information from Graphs
Most students preferred flipped class
There was a preference towards flipped in-person class
Most students reported that they learnt a great deal from their peers
49% students preferred flipped class, 5% preferred any option, Remaining students were ok with either.
To access a PDF of the "Benefits of Teaching a Large Course Using a Flipped Zoom Classroom" poster, click here.Description of the Poster
CSE 260 Flipped Class (Lessons Learned)
Sandeep Kulkarni and Eric Torng
CSE 260: Discrete Mathematics
Topics Covered:
Propositional and predicate logic
Set Theory
Elementary Number theory and its applications to cryptography
Mathematical Induction
Counting and probability
Relations
Role in Curriculum
Foundational mathematics for computer science
Analog to calculus (continuous mathematics) for engineering and natural sciences
Why Flipped Class
Students need lots of practice to master the methods and concepts
Discrete math problems do not provide instant feedback to students if they do something wrong (unlike some programming errors such as a program failing to compile), so doing problems in class in groups helps students get quick feedback on any mistakes
For Fall 2020, student groups not only improved learning, they also created a sense of community for students who participated regularly.
80% of students responding to an end of semester survey reported they developed friendships through the homework groups
Flipped Class Design
Class enrollment roughly 200 (10-20% were outside the US, several in Asia)
Instructional Team
2 faculty, 6 TAs/ULAs
Online videos covered the core concepts
Each video had an associated homework assignment that would be worked on in class by student groups
Each video had an associated online quiz that every student was required to complete before working on the associated homework in class in groups
Homework group composition
20 groups, approximately 10 students per group
Group creation started about a month before the first class
Each student was asked to fill out a survey that asked two main things
Do you request specific group partners?
15% of students made such requests
What is your self-perceived math background and ability to lead a group discussion?
60% of students filled out the survey
Groups were created based on these responses (group partner requests and balancing self-perceived ability)
Groups did not change
Homework group technical support
Groups had a shared Google drive space for working on assignments
Groups had predefined Zoom breakout rooms
Some issues due to Zoom max of 200 participants for predefined breakout rooms
First Week Activities
The first week was focused on group work logistics and the daily structure
We discussed group roles and group dynamics
We had students practice their group collaboration on ungraded simple math exercises
We had several technical issues the first week including having to move roughly 80 students rather than the anticipated 20 students to their predefined Zoom breakout rooms
Daily Structure
At the end of every class, each group submitted a survey to identify (1) difficulties encountered, (2) their current status in solving the homework problems, (3) and their assessment of the group collaboration.
Before the next class, we prepared a few slides summarizing the responses in all three dimensions along with 2-3 quoted comments that best captured the current student sentiment.
At the start of the next class, we spent roughly 20 minutes covering those slides.
Afterwards, groups began their collaborative work in their assigned breakout rooms
The instructional team moved through the groups to help as needed for both content and to enforce good group dynamics.
The work done in class was submitted as (lightly graded) homework to ensure that it was completed
Common Difficulties
Internet issues
Some students not watching the videos before class
Freeloaders: some students not participating on a regular basis but getting the same homework grade leads to resentment from those that do participate.
Groups were not perfectly synchronized; leading groups might be 2-3 assignments ahead of trailing groups.
Lessons Learned
# instructional staff needs to be about 1/3 # of groups
This implies we can have at most ~20 groups with current instructional staff size
Need better mechanisms to address freeloaders
Perhaps more frequent individual assessments to ensure all students are participating and learning
Each class/week must have specific deliverables to ensure group synchronization
Stricter enforcement of requirements to watch videos before class
Survey
Administered by Qualtrics
Roughly 1/3 of students (65) responded
Selected Comments
I think the flipped model is much more effective when it has to be online and potentially I think it could work when in person classes are able to be taught again. I think some students learn a bit differently than others so I think having the option of flipped classes (maybe every other semester) could be beneficial to some and hindering to others.
I feel like there would be more participation if the flipped class happened in person rather than zoom. People would likely hold themselves more accountable.
I think the reason group work helped me learn was because it was over zoom. This way everyone is able to see a screen and hear each other. If it had been an in-person flipped class it would have been more difficult to communicate with such a large group, so groups would have to be smaller. The people sitting furthest away from wherever the work is being done would not participate. I think I learned the most when I was doing problems as a group.
Flipped classroom in person is very nice. For example CMSE 201, 202 and STT 180 all do very nice jobs of balancing the in class work and the pout of class lecture. Also, having TA's walking around to help is very nice.
Information from Graphs
Most students preferred flipped class
There was a preference towards flipped in-person class
Most students reported that they learnt a great deal from their peers
49% students preferred flipped class, 5% preferred any option, Remaining students were ok with either.
Authored by:
Eric Torng, Sandeep Kulkarni

Posted on: #iteachmsu

Benefits of Teaching a Large Course Using a Flipped Zoom Classroom
In Fall 2020, we conducted CSE 260 (Discrete Mathematics) as a flip...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Posted on: #iteachmsu
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Matricultural Practices in Studio Art Courses
Instructing students during the Covid 19 pandemic has created many new challenges and upended normative pedagogical practices in learning spaces. Teaching in the arts, a traditionally hands-on process, represents a particularly unique set of challenges. Studio art faculty have long been asked to perform with limited resources, particularly those in the domestic arts where practitioners are largely women, people of color, and folks from marginalized populations. In this poster presentation, I will discuss how historically, in times of war, and now a pandemic, domestic work or matriculture, is revisited by societies at large. One needs only to look at the proliferation of bread making advice across social platforms; an intense return to cooking, and the sharing of recipes for meals that are comforting; renewed interest in growing plants and gardening to recognize the need to prioritize domestic activities as high priorities during this time. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that these same domestic activities function as productive distractions from trauma, and offer meditative practices, while providing individuals and their families with activities and outcomes that commonly bring about feelings of comfort, and security. Accordingly, I will discuss how these domestic skills can be applied to experimental learning and how students can draw on these practices with rigor for more personal resilience, innovation and imagination in their studio arts practice.To access a PDF of the "Matricultural Practices in Studio Art Courses" poster, click here.
Description of the Poster
Matricultural Practices in Studio Art Courses
Rebecca E. Schuiling Apparel and Textile Design Art, Art, History and Design Michigan State University
Introduction
Studio environment, now that we are online, happens in the home. Students are making studios of their kitchen table, twin bed, and basement floors. Creative projects that would have been executed on industry standard machines and equipment are now being created from discarded items in the family garage, recycle bin, and the junk drawer. While creative spaces, commonly known professionally as studios, have always had direct connections to matricultural underpinnings, at this time, studio practices and matricultural practices commingle.
Students and professors alike take for granted the matricultural items and spaces around them, because they commonly exist in patriarchal spaces such as drawing studios with rigid standing tables, fluorescent lighting, cell structure classrooms with concrete floors. The pandemic forced them to examine their surroundings with a critical eye to discover new approaches and materials for creative outcomes. This returned everyone to a matricultural ethos, where materials and approaches reflect the Hestian sphere. Materials that were readily available commonly were found in the natural environment and in the home, which lead to a new appreciation for sustainable media and materials readily available when viewed through a lens of multiplicity.
In my studio courses; Knitwear, Advanced Knitwear, and Explorations in Apparel and Textile Design, I employ matricultural pedagogical strategies. The following are a few highlights as to the use and success of Matriculture as a pedagogy.
Matriculture as Pedagogy
In the introduction to her book, Cassandra Speaks 2020, Elizabeth Lesser notes that the stories a culture tells, become the culture. Stories with terms coded as feminine, “the home, the hearth, the “womanly arts” of empathy and care” are erased in favor of stories of warriors and violence (Lesser 2020:11). In this way, matriculture embraces practices commonly considered domestic arts, crafts, and even women’s work, because it offers sustainable practices and compassionate community based outcomes.
In ReMembering Matricultures: Historiography of Subjugated Knowledges, Irene Wiens-Friesen Wolfstone imagines a future where curricula and syllabi are developed through the conceptual and theoretical framework of Matricultures. Her working definition of Matriculture is mother-centered societies founded on maternal values of care-taking and meeting needs, which become ethical principles for men and women, mothers and not-mothers. Matricultures are socially egalitarian and governed by consensus (2018: 5)
During the Coronavirus pandemic, many returned to matricultural spaces, materials, and approaches for creative studios without fully realizing the connection. Given these factors, professors commonly asked students to use what is around them for creative outcomes in their studios, such as garden mud and dough used for ceramics; a pile of pots and pans for still life drawing; and onions and beets used for fabric dyes.
Matriculture Pedagogical Case Study Examples
Students were asked to be highly resourceful for space and materials while taking creative studios online. Closets of parents and peers were raided so as to locate appropriate materials that can be upcycled or repurposed. Furry family companions and stuffed animals within the home, are now models for knitted items such as scarves, blankets, mittens and hand warmers.
Reconnecting with Matricutural Relationships
A student in my Advanced Knitwear class could not afford new yarn or notions for the class. She reached out to her family, and her grandmother was gifted her a stash of materials including yarns. Her grandmother was thrilled that her granddaughter was learning to knit and that the materials she had collected over the years would finally be utilized for a creative outcome. The student had lots of materials for her projects that would not impinge on her affording other supplies. (Studio majors commonly spend more than $500 per course per semester).
Reconnecting to Matricultural Spaces
Due to the fact that many students are working in tiny spaces, as they are sharing their homes with extended family members, or are limited to small apartments or dorm rooms. Space is at a premium in the pandemic, especially for students. Students negotiate with family or roommates for space at the kitchen table or for a bedroom to become a studio for the semester. Storing supplies requires communication and innovative thinking to prevent children or pets from inadvertently ruining paints, markers, fabrics, and other creative materials. In return, the students will offer gifts of their time to make roommates dinner or even some of their creative outcomes.
Reconnecting to Matricultural Resources
Students in fashion illustration courses are using tea or coffee to paint their croquis figures. Orange peels and strawberry hulls now build the silhouettes to create texture and line for garment illustrations. Collage items are created as students forage around the house collecting and collating mail, paper goods, and other household items. Everyday household objects take on a new life in still lifes created in the home, frequently with family members critiquing and contributing.
Analysis
Wolfstone notes that Foucault’s methodology of historiography exposes how knowledge construction is influenced by colonialism, patriarchy and capitalism. Wolfstone posits that this is a useful framework “for exploring questions such as: How did we get to this place where patriarchy is presented as the only viable social order? How can we remember the subjugated knowledge of matricultures?” ((Wolfstone 2018: 7). In a patriarchal society, crafts are coded as feminine and amateur. They do not carry hegemonic institutional accreditations. Furthermore, crafting is often discounted as medium as it is typically associated with clothing and, therefore, considered superficial or surface. The Covid-19 Pandemic has forced a societal reckoning with this prioritization. The anxiety, fear, and unknown of living through a contagion, coupled with societal and economic unrest and institutionalized disparities; has led us back to the familiar; to home; to matriculture. To the domestic work that sustains life.
By employing Matriculture as a pedagogical method in my creative studios, students are encouraged through their studio practice and design processes to simultaneously reconnect to family, reconnect to resources, and reconnecting to spaces in their own lives and creative practices. Thus, moving away from a traditional patriarchal lens of institutionalized learning to an authentic, sustainable, and community based matricultural practice.
Summary
In times of crisis, the domestic or matriculture is revisited. In my studio pedagogy, I employed matricultural practices, materials, and approaches because many students were isolated in home environments, where they were also engaged with domestic activities that were applicable to experiential learning and creative outcomes. Students reconnected with family, the home, and resources found in the home. Students draw on these practices with rigor for more personal resilience, innovation, and imagination in their studio practice and creative outcomes.
Bibliography
Foucault, M. (1984). Nietzsche, genealogy, history. In P. Rabinow (Ed.) The Foucault reader (pp. 76-100). New York: Pantheon Books.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2015). Braiding sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions.
Lesser, E. (2020). Cassandra Speaks. Harper Wave.
Wolfstone I.W.F (2018). ReMembering Matricultures: Historiography of Subjugated Knowledges. Accessed April 19, 2021: https://www.academia.edu/37336416/ReMembering_Matricultures_Historiography_of_Subjugated_Knowledges
In her book, Robin Wall Kimmerer notes that “cosmologies are a source of identity and orientation to the world. They tell us who we are. We are inevitably shaped by them no matter how distant they may be from our consciousness…..On one side of the world were people whose relationship with the living world was shaped by Skywoman, who created a garden for the well-being of all. On the other side was another woman with a garden and a tree. But for tasting its fruit, she was banished. And then they met- the offspring of Skywoman and the children of Eve- and the land bears the scars of that meeting, the echoes of their stories” (Kimmerer 2015: 6-7).
Wolfstone continues, “Matricultures do not presume the subordination of men, and thus are not the reverse of patriarchy. Matricultures assume a reciprocal relationality between land and culture”
My research is an exploration of the material culture of dress and appearances, specifically knitted dress. I draw from disciplines including but not limited to Dress, Cultural Studies, Sociology, and Visual Culture in order to build qualitative methodological frameworks, studies, and analyses that allow for better understanding of the rituals of craft. My research and scholarship reveal how crafting practices and rituals of handcraft are vehicles of empowerment.
Description of the Poster
Matricultural Practices in Studio Art Courses
Rebecca E. Schuiling Apparel and Textile Design Art, Art, History and Design Michigan State University
Introduction
Studio environment, now that we are online, happens in the home. Students are making studios of their kitchen table, twin bed, and basement floors. Creative projects that would have been executed on industry standard machines and equipment are now being created from discarded items in the family garage, recycle bin, and the junk drawer. While creative spaces, commonly known professionally as studios, have always had direct connections to matricultural underpinnings, at this time, studio practices and matricultural practices commingle.
Students and professors alike take for granted the matricultural items and spaces around them, because they commonly exist in patriarchal spaces such as drawing studios with rigid standing tables, fluorescent lighting, cell structure classrooms with concrete floors. The pandemic forced them to examine their surroundings with a critical eye to discover new approaches and materials for creative outcomes. This returned everyone to a matricultural ethos, where materials and approaches reflect the Hestian sphere. Materials that were readily available commonly were found in the natural environment and in the home, which lead to a new appreciation for sustainable media and materials readily available when viewed through a lens of multiplicity.
In my studio courses; Knitwear, Advanced Knitwear, and Explorations in Apparel and Textile Design, I employ matricultural pedagogical strategies. The following are a few highlights as to the use and success of Matriculture as a pedagogy.
Matriculture as Pedagogy
In the introduction to her book, Cassandra Speaks 2020, Elizabeth Lesser notes that the stories a culture tells, become the culture. Stories with terms coded as feminine, “the home, the hearth, the “womanly arts” of empathy and care” are erased in favor of stories of warriors and violence (Lesser 2020:11). In this way, matriculture embraces practices commonly considered domestic arts, crafts, and even women’s work, because it offers sustainable practices and compassionate community based outcomes.
In ReMembering Matricultures: Historiography of Subjugated Knowledges, Irene Wiens-Friesen Wolfstone imagines a future where curricula and syllabi are developed through the conceptual and theoretical framework of Matricultures. Her working definition of Matriculture is mother-centered societies founded on maternal values of care-taking and meeting needs, which become ethical principles for men and women, mothers and not-mothers. Matricultures are socially egalitarian and governed by consensus (2018: 5)
During the Coronavirus pandemic, many returned to matricultural spaces, materials, and approaches for creative studios without fully realizing the connection. Given these factors, professors commonly asked students to use what is around them for creative outcomes in their studios, such as garden mud and dough used for ceramics; a pile of pots and pans for still life drawing; and onions and beets used for fabric dyes.
Matriculture Pedagogical Case Study Examples
Students were asked to be highly resourceful for space and materials while taking creative studios online. Closets of parents and peers were raided so as to locate appropriate materials that can be upcycled or repurposed. Furry family companions and stuffed animals within the home, are now models for knitted items such as scarves, blankets, mittens and hand warmers.
Reconnecting with Matricutural Relationships
A student in my Advanced Knitwear class could not afford new yarn or notions for the class. She reached out to her family, and her grandmother was gifted her a stash of materials including yarns. Her grandmother was thrilled that her granddaughter was learning to knit and that the materials she had collected over the years would finally be utilized for a creative outcome. The student had lots of materials for her projects that would not impinge on her affording other supplies. (Studio majors commonly spend more than $500 per course per semester).
Reconnecting to Matricultural Spaces
Due to the fact that many students are working in tiny spaces, as they are sharing their homes with extended family members, or are limited to small apartments or dorm rooms. Space is at a premium in the pandemic, especially for students. Students negotiate with family or roommates for space at the kitchen table or for a bedroom to become a studio for the semester. Storing supplies requires communication and innovative thinking to prevent children or pets from inadvertently ruining paints, markers, fabrics, and other creative materials. In return, the students will offer gifts of their time to make roommates dinner or even some of their creative outcomes.
Reconnecting to Matricultural Resources
Students in fashion illustration courses are using tea or coffee to paint their croquis figures. Orange peels and strawberry hulls now build the silhouettes to create texture and line for garment illustrations. Collage items are created as students forage around the house collecting and collating mail, paper goods, and other household items. Everyday household objects take on a new life in still lifes created in the home, frequently with family members critiquing and contributing.
Analysis
Wolfstone notes that Foucault’s methodology of historiography exposes how knowledge construction is influenced by colonialism, patriarchy and capitalism. Wolfstone posits that this is a useful framework “for exploring questions such as: How did we get to this place where patriarchy is presented as the only viable social order? How can we remember the subjugated knowledge of matricultures?” ((Wolfstone 2018: 7). In a patriarchal society, crafts are coded as feminine and amateur. They do not carry hegemonic institutional accreditations. Furthermore, crafting is often discounted as medium as it is typically associated with clothing and, therefore, considered superficial or surface. The Covid-19 Pandemic has forced a societal reckoning with this prioritization. The anxiety, fear, and unknown of living through a contagion, coupled with societal and economic unrest and institutionalized disparities; has led us back to the familiar; to home; to matriculture. To the domestic work that sustains life.
By employing Matriculture as a pedagogical method in my creative studios, students are encouraged through their studio practice and design processes to simultaneously reconnect to family, reconnect to resources, and reconnecting to spaces in their own lives and creative practices. Thus, moving away from a traditional patriarchal lens of institutionalized learning to an authentic, sustainable, and community based matricultural practice.
Summary
In times of crisis, the domestic or matriculture is revisited. In my studio pedagogy, I employed matricultural practices, materials, and approaches because many students were isolated in home environments, where they were also engaged with domestic activities that were applicable to experiential learning and creative outcomes. Students reconnected with family, the home, and resources found in the home. Students draw on these practices with rigor for more personal resilience, innovation, and imagination in their studio practice and creative outcomes.
Bibliography
Foucault, M. (1984). Nietzsche, genealogy, history. In P. Rabinow (Ed.) The Foucault reader (pp. 76-100). New York: Pantheon Books.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2015). Braiding sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions.
Lesser, E. (2020). Cassandra Speaks. Harper Wave.
Wolfstone I.W.F (2018). ReMembering Matricultures: Historiography of Subjugated Knowledges. Accessed April 19, 2021: https://www.academia.edu/37336416/ReMembering_Matricultures_Historiography_of_Subjugated_Knowledges
In her book, Robin Wall Kimmerer notes that “cosmologies are a source of identity and orientation to the world. They tell us who we are. We are inevitably shaped by them no matter how distant they may be from our consciousness…..On one side of the world were people whose relationship with the living world was shaped by Skywoman, who created a garden for the well-being of all. On the other side was another woman with a garden and a tree. But for tasting its fruit, she was banished. And then they met- the offspring of Skywoman and the children of Eve- and the land bears the scars of that meeting, the echoes of their stories” (Kimmerer 2015: 6-7).
Wolfstone continues, “Matricultures do not presume the subordination of men, and thus are not the reverse of patriarchy. Matricultures assume a reciprocal relationality between land and culture”
My research is an exploration of the material culture of dress and appearances, specifically knitted dress. I draw from disciplines including but not limited to Dress, Cultural Studies, Sociology, and Visual Culture in order to build qualitative methodological frameworks, studies, and analyses that allow for better understanding of the rituals of craft. My research and scholarship reveal how crafting practices and rituals of handcraft are vehicles of empowerment.
Authored by:
Rebecca Schuiling

Posted on: #iteachmsu

Matricultural Practices in Studio Art Courses
Instructing students during the Covid 19 pandemic has created many ...
Authored by:
PEDAGOGICAL DESIGN
Monday, Apr 26, 2021