Teaching the tangible, remotely: Fashion as material culture

Abstract

This article, based on observation and reflection, considers the pragmatics of teaching the usually tangible aspects of material culture transposed to online delivery due to Covid-19. Challenging aspects included translating object-based learning (OBL) to a digital space in which the shared objects for examination were absent; balancing object-based and object-driven approaches; understanding student engagement and interaction in a digital environment, and creating a valuable, inclusive teaching and learning experience. We argue that there is potential for object-based learning activities to be delivered online and to work well, with the haptic engagement managed remotely.