Special Collections Online Instruction Modules

UW-Madison Special Collections has partnered with the Teaching and Learning Programs Office to develop self-contained, interactive instruction modules. These modules, which can be added to any Canvas course easily, serve several purposes: they introduce students to materials from our collections; they provide them with vital background information about how to analyze and interpret different types of historical media and primary sources; and they help students develop skills that will make future interactions with our book and manuscript collections more meaningful, whether those interactions occur in the classroom or during the students’ own research.

Modules currently in development include the following:

• Decoding an Early Modern Title Page
• Understanding Little Magazines
• A Brief Introduction to Papyrology
• Identifying and Comparing Historical Illustration Methods
• The Anatomy of a Book of Hours
• Special Collections: Before Your Visit

You may click on the links above for more information about each module. Additional modules are forthcoming. If you are interested in using one of these modules either as a preface to a larger Special Collections component to your course instruction or as a stand-alone addition to your course, please follow the instructions for requesting instruction on our Class Sessions and Instruction page. Note: Special Collections will not be hosting in-person class visits for the Spring 2021 semester