Field trip to Science Gallery Melbourne

Students engage in a Field Trip to Science Gallery Melbourne, the University's newest Museums & Collections venue. Over 2.5 hours, supported by the Museums & Collections Academic Engagement team, students have a targeted experience of a provocative exhibition, engage in group brainstorm and reflection, then share a whole class Q&A. The session is designed to elicit a deeper understanding of professional practice and professionalism through a shared experience in a creative and stimulating cultural environment and intellectual context. This is in deliberate contrast to the standard lecture theatre and clinical spaces the students typically occupy for their learning and provides a rich alternate lens through which the students can see and explore their own professional learning, practice and identity.

The activity is structured around a simple schedule:

• arrival welcome to Science Gallery Melbourne, including overview of aims of Science Gallery and brief overview of the current exhibition, introduction to Museums & Collections Teaching Fellows (current PhD Science students) who will host and support the Optometry students in a interprofessional peer to peer learning context;
• students self-tour through the exhibition and actively engage with the exhibits though social media posting;
• students form groups (approx. 5-6 per group, 11 groups total) to share learning experience;
• whole class shares reflections led by a spokesperson from each group;
• final engagement in exhibition space with two of the exhibitors discussing their research translation and cross-disciplinary collaborative process.

Points for discussion in the group Q&A include:

• What do you think about the visit?
• Which exhibit resonates with you, and why?
• How do you think it relates to professional practice?

Feedback from collaborator Dr Kwang Cham about the 2022 program: “Science Gallery MENTAL was a wonderful opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the physical space to consider and reflect on such an important topic. By embedding such authentic learning opportunities within the curriculum, it has enhanced student engagement and have led to a richer and meaningful experience.”

1. Plan early in advance – connect early with the academic engagement team to know the person to liaise and what the upcoming exhibitions are.
2. Clear structure and expectations – ensure you have sufficient facilitators on ground. Students need to be explicitly told about the intended learning outcomes with clear justification for doing such an activity that might seem atypical to them.
3. Department buy-in – ensure you present a strong case to get buy-in from the department. This will help to support the logistics and scheduling.
4. Be brave and challenge yourself – sometimes we just need the courage to things differently. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!