Not Biting Off More Than We Can Chew: Experimental Archaeology in an Online Classroom

Summary

This is an abstract from the "AI-Proof Learning: Food-Centered Experimental Archaeology in the Classroom" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Experimental archaeology is a valuable tool for investigating the past and can be used to develop hands-on, high-impact learning opportunities for undergraduate students, helping to demystify the scientific process. Assigning such activities can also address some of the assessment challenges posed by the use of generative AI in student work. In the fall of 2023, community college students enrolled in an online world prehistory course engaged in experimental projects related to food processing and technology. This paper explores the scaffolded approach taken to guide these early-career students as they selected, conducted, reflected on, and showcased their experiments through online portfolios. Successes and challenges of this approach in the online classroom are discussed, along with recommendations for adapting it to other settings. Taken in small bites, hands-on experimental projects offer a digestible way for students to connect with the past in creative and rewarding ways.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• AI-Proof Learning: Food-Centered Experimental Archaeology in the Classroom   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38719.0