*Slow Looking: The Art and Practice of Learning through Observation (Instructor)

Slow looking involves taking the time to carefully observe more than is initially apparent. It happens anywhere people take a generous amount of time to explore the world closely—in museums, in classrooms, in laboratories, and in everyday experience. Slow looking involves the capacity to observe details, to defer interpretation, to make careful discernments, to shift between different perspectives, to be aware of subjectivity, and to purposefully use a variety of strategies to move past first impressions. This course explores slow looking as a unique mode of learning. Through the course text, discussions, and immersive experiences, students will explore such questions as: What is slow looking and how does it compare to other forms of learning? What are its distinctive outcomes, and how can they be recognized, encouraged, and documented? Much of the course involves visual observation, and we acknowledge that the term 'slow looking' uses the vernacular of the visual. However, observation occurs through all the senses, and the course aims to honor the multisensory possibilities of observational learning. As part of the course requirements, students will work in small groups to design, implement, and reflect on a learning experience that foregrounds slow looking. Several visits to local sites are required.