Thesis Update: Independent Study and a Slight Change of Focus

        As noted in my last post, I spent the spring semester completing thesis work required for my Fine Art Studio degree, which meant that I would have to finish my Museum Studies thesis as an independent study course this semester, under the advisement of Dr. Decker. The completion of my BFA degree went well, but I still didn’t have much of a break after the semester ended; I was selected to present on the Uncommon Press at this year’s meeting of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), and accordingly continued working on my thesis in May and June, albeit with a shifted focus. 

        Originally, I intended to examine original or reconstructed objects which can be found in various cultural institutions, such as the press, through a lens which combines object-based, interactive-based, and interpretive-based educational lenses. For the conference presentation, however, and ultimately for my actual thesis, I decided that it would instead be more beneficial to focus on the way in which such objects can be utilized as touchstones for STEM education.

Daniel Krull presenting at ALHFAM 2017
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Juilee Decker)

        At this point, I've turned in my first in-progress draft, which has been edited by both my readers - Dr. Decker and Dr. Steven Galbraith, curator of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. I'll soon be submitting the next iteration, which will include an expanded and edited section about applications of STEM educational standards, and an updated literature review, which will be better-aligned with my updated focus. Once I've turned in this new version, I'll also be writing a new blog post. I'm planning to outline some of the actual ways in which I correlated the Uncommon Press and its use to STEM education and common core standards, so stay tuned.