I have been teaching a variety of courses at Duke University and at University of California, San Diego. Most of the classes at Duke and at UCSD were upper-division and large "Introduction to Media" courses. Class sizes have ranged from 12 to 24 students, whereas large lecture classes enrolled between 90-160 students.
The courses I teach relate to analog and digital photography, TV studio, film and video production. More specifically, these courses encompass digital editing for image and sound, advanced documentary/fiction theory and production, experimental documentary narrative, and introduction to media with an emphasis on experimental image production.
One of my strengths as filmmaker and photographer is my comfort in working with cross-disciplinary art production and teaching. At UCSD and at Duke University, faculty are encouraged to think beyond their own isolated disciplines and to incorporate the knowledge, experience, and interests of students and faculty from other disciplines. My classroom practice integrates students, faculty, and material from UCSD's Media Center, and the new Sixth College and Cal IT, the Center for Documentary Studies, and the theater and dance departments, which bring together the disciplines of technology, performance and art at Duke.
- Documentation of dance and performance class at Duke University
- Student works of photography class at UCSD
The focus in my classroom is on active learning, on the assessment of actual learning, on teaching for transformation, and on documenting the students' progress. I encourage students to reflect on their concepts and to document their creative works by using social media sites to publish and share final pieces. For instance, students employ Tumblr sites as individual visual sketchbooks. Final works are then compiled on course specific Flickr or Vimeo sites for publishing. The goal is to have students explore how their works fit into the larger context of online publication and how they can communicate content within online communities. Students discover and analyze the effects of their works in this context. I thrive to facilitate a learning style that is based in experiential learning and that is relevant to the personal interests of the students.
My passion for teaching led me to Duke University's Graduate School College Teaching Certificate program, which not only allowed me to concentrate on the discipline of teaching, but also positively transformed my experience of teaching and my concept of being a teacher. There I studied course design, student-centered discussion techniques, and the proper use of technology in the classroom, to name a few things. I also participated in a peer review teaching practicum in which I gave interactive teaching presentations over the course of a semester that were video recorded for self-reflection. Perhaps more than anything else, this program showed me that the vitality and growth of a teaching professional only come through this continued research and study and through the evaluation of this teaching by students and peers.
Since graduating from Duke University I have been engaged in two college teaching associations. I am an active member in CAA, the College Art Association and SPE, the Society of Photographic Education. Recently I was invited to provide an imagemaker presentation of my work and teaching for the SPE West regional conference in California.
As a teacher, my objective is to help students become proficient at making the leap from acquiring new information that fits into pre-existing knowledge to what I call transformative learning. This requires me to strike a careful balance between supporting and challenging my students. In the case of advanced and graduate students, I may introduce a "disorienting dilemma" to challenge their beliefs. I may use quotes, pictures, video content, or case studies to 'confuse' learners in a constructive way. At the same time, these tricky twists intrigue students, increase their motivation and curiosity to go beyond what they already know, and promote further learning.
At the beginning of each course as well as the beginning of each class, I state the goals and describe the specific learning sequence we will be following. Most classes have a uniquely designed course reader or a list of readings provided on a university server.
For example, my UCSD course “Documentary Evidence and the Construction of Authenticity in Current Media Practices” is a 10-week upper division undergraduate class in which photography and media students go through the three stages of (1) observing & interviewing, (2) portraying/self portraying, (3) the subject and you. This process facilitates learning by looking at and experimenting with a variety of documentary modes through a course sequence that progresses from observing things as they happen to developing reflexive and performative documentaries. Each step of the way, students reflect on their work through production papers. I stress the written analysis even in production classes like multi-camera TV studio or non-linear editing seminars. From time to time, I also employ minute papers or exit papers to assess where they are in their learning process or to find out where I have not reached my goals for the class. I seek to create a supportive, peaceful and challenging learning environment that stimulates critical thinking and synthesizes a wide variety of information, methods, sources, and disciplines.
For example, my UCSD course "Documentary Evidence and the Construction of Authenticity in Current Media Practices" is a 10-week upper division undergraduate class in which photography and media students go through the three stages of (1) observing & interviewing, (2) portraying/self portraying, and (3) the subject and you. This process facilitates learning by looking at and experimenting with a variety of documentary modes through a course sequence that progresses from pure observation of things as they happen to developing reflexive and performative documentaries.
At each step of the way, students reflect on their work through production papers. I stress the written analysis even in production classes such as multi-camera TV studio or non-linear editing seminars. From time to time, I also employ minute papers or exit papers to assess where students are in their learning process or to find out where I may have not yet reached my goals for the class. I seek to create a supportive, peaceful and challenging learning environment that stimulates critical thinking and synthesizes a wide variety of information, methods, sources, and disciplines.
The reciprocal benefits of teaching and art making are far greater than I might have ever imagined. Indeed, they push me on to improve myself as both an educator and artist. After 16 years in the United States, in 2011 I became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Because of my own experiences as a foreigner, connecting with the large diverse population of foreign students at UCSD and Duke University has not only felt seamlessly natural, but has also been a great pleasure. My own experience has given me a broad perspective and appreciation from which to understand and integrate all students in the classroom community. I see this as invaluable for the success of a whole class, the life on campus, and the mentoring of each individual student.
One of the greatest benefits for me was the experience of teaching at San Diego City College. Here I worked with an even broader diversity of students, including older adults, former Navy members, and students changing careers or aiming for re-integration into the work force. It was immensely gratifying to be able to forge strong relationships with these students and to genuinely help them in their educational and life pursuits. The altruistic drive to encourage growth and learning through teaching has become integral to my own research and creative practice. Mentoring and teaching is, for me, both intellectually and a socially fulfilling. I am very motivated to continue growing as a teacher and am open to new developments in my disciplines, new theories of learning and teaching, and new technology and creative ideas for teaching as they emerge. Art practice and teaching art are important and cherished parts of my life.
Links to films documenting teaching and student works
- Tumblr site with films on teaching
- Student works from Duke University
- Student works from UCSD
- Student works/film
Wolfgang Hastert