Cultural Heritage and Digitisation Lab

Module title	Cultural Heritage and Digitisation Lab
Module code	LAW3215
Academic year	2022/3
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Andrea Wallace (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	54

Module description

The Cultural Heritage and Digitisation Lab is a module where students learn to resolve legal, ethical and practical issues involved in the digitisation, reproduction, and management of cultural collections. The digitisation of cultural heritage collections requires specialised and interdisciplinary expertise on topics like technical standards, intellectual property rights, data protection and management, and cultural sensitivity. These challenges are exacerbated by the cross-border nature of digital collections, audiences, and downstream participation by users.

In this module, students will work through problem-based learning directly connected to, or based on, real-life client work performed by the GLAM-E Lab and the Exeter Law Clinics. The GLAM-E Lab is a joint initiative between the Centre for Science, Culture and the Law at the University of Exeter and the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy at NYU Law, established to work with smaller and less well-resourced UK and US cultural institutions and community organisations to build open access capacity and expertise.

Students will not be required to have prior knowledge or to have taken any pre-requisites or co-requisites for the module. The module might be of particular interest to students who study or have studied Art and Law, Intellectual Property, or modules focused on digital humanities. The module is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students, and will be particularly useful for students who are interested in developing an interdisciplinary approach to studies.

Module aims - intentions of the module

By the end of this module, you will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to work effectively as a researcher, working across legal, ethical and practical issues. You will learn how to communicate and work as part of a team, and manage your time effectively and efficiently. You will also study at least one targeted research topic in-depth.

During the module, you will receive support, training and mentoring from your tutors to address or resolve one scenario-based or clinical-based legal, ethical or practical question. You will be tasked with conducting original independent research. You may be involved in data collection and production via client interviewing, archival research and/or digitisation.

With this module, you will gain experience across multiple disciplines relevant to a particular topic, as well as academic and practical research methods.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Develop methodological research skills, specifically in reading, designing, and conducting experimental research.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of experimental research studies in multiple disciplinaries.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. Exercise informed judgement concerning the practical constraints of conducting research in multiple disciplinaries
4. Exhibit an understanding of the relationship between knowledge and practice.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Communicate effectively in a manner appropriate to a professional research environment.
6. Conduct both independent and directed research tasks.
7. Exercise critical judgement in the form of cogent and persuasive writing.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

copyright, contract and cultural heritage law;
open access business models and new revenue generation;
restitution and decolonisation of cultural collections;
digitisation technologies, workflows and processes;
data management, storage, privacy, and cultural sensitivities;
digitisation;
2D and 3D scanning; and
engagement with editing software.

Note that the module content will vary according to Lab partner needs and research focus.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
27.5	122.5

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	27.5	11 x 2.5-hour workshops
Guided Independent Study	55	Workshops preparation
Guided Independent Study	67.5	Formative and summative assessments preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Client letter	1,000 words	1-7	Written feedback; oral feedback available upon request

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Report	100	2,000 words	1-7	Written feedback; oral feedback available upon request
	0
	0
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Report	Report (2,000 words)	1-7	August/September re-assessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Relevant reading and projects:

Mathilde Pavis and Andrea Wallace, Response to the Sarr-Savoy Report (2019)
Mathilde Pavis and Andrea Wallace, Intellectual Property Rights Repatriation (2020)
Black South West Network, The Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (2020)
Andrea Wallace and Ronan Deazley, Display At Your Own Risk (2016)
Michael Weinberg, Thomas Flynn and Neil Stimler, GLAM3D.org (2020)
Andrea Wallace, Critical Open GLAM (2020)

The organisations below are all partners on the GLAM-E Lab and of Exeter Law School. The scenarios, legal questions or clinical work you will perform will be based on their practice and collections.

Key words search

Digitisation, open access, law, cultural collections, cultural heritage, clinic

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	15
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	22/01/2021
Last revision date	15/02/2022