Prof. Karen Karbiener uses the city as a classroom even as instruction goes remote

In the sudden shift to remote learning ushered in by the novel coronavirus, it seems that everything that we're used to in higher education has been turned upside down. We're no longer commuting to campus, we're not congregating in classrooms, and we're certainly missing those signature LS field trips throughout the city. Undoubtedly, we've had to adapt, and in the face of these challenges, our LS faculty have stunningly risen to the occasion and continuously impress us with their ingenuity and dedication to their students.

An exemplar of this commitment to engaged learning, Professor Karen Karbiener has set out to find creative ways to fill that field trip gap. Under different circumstances, Professor Karbiener would've accompanied her Cultural Foundations 2 classes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a session of "Observant Eye" in which students examine one artwork for one hour with the help of an expert. Though originally disappointed that students would be unable to see various works in person on site at the museum, Professor Karbiener has worked closely with Program Coordinator of the Met's Education Department and specialist in Renaissance art Elizabeth Perkins to bring "Observant Eye" to the virtual classroom. Thanks to their collaboration, earlier this month Professor Karbiener and her students were able to join Elizabeth on Zoom to explore Michelangelo's "Studies for the Libyan Sibyl" in the world's first digital "Observant Eye" session.

One of the Met's most precious holdings, this Michelangelo sketch is not a go-to subject for a typical "Observant Eye." It's far too small, about the size of common sheet of printer paper, for a large group to examine all at once. Yet, the piece blossomed as the perfect specimen for this new learning environment. Elizabeth was able to zoom in (pun intended) on the drawing to discuss details like pins denoting specific shoulder muscles of interest as well as a scribble in the lower portion that is presumed to be the mark of a collector that once owned the piece. She then revealed that the sketch was practice for the Libyan Sibyl in Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, seamlessly jumping to an image of this famous mural. Thus, in an unexpected surprise, technology presented a whole new world of possibilities for art education. It turns out that Zoom is a fabulous way to discuss and show a work of art that is too small to enjoy in a group setting, in storage, on tour, or otherwise unavailable to the public. With this discovery, and thanks to such an enthusiastic response from the class, less than a week later, the Met went on to host the first of what will likely be a series of digital "Observant Eye" sessions for the public.

Riding out that wave of excitement, by the following week, Professor Karbiener had lined up the next virtual experience for her students. After New York City's world-renowned theater district went dark and a highly anticipated class trip to Sleep No More, Punchdrunk's immersive adaptation of Macbeth, was abruptly canceled, Professor Karbiener was determined to maintain that opportunity for expanded contemporary engagement with a classic text. She invited Isadora Wolfe, resident director and actor in Sleep No More to log onto Zoom for an hour-long class discussion and Q&A. 

Describing the virtual discourse that ensued, Professor Karbiener writes, "Intellectually generous, gracious, and welcoming, Isadora provided us with a behind-the-scenes understanding of how Macbeth inspired this wordless performance, and how Shakespeare's plot and characters are interpreted through dance, music, and even lighting. She confirmed for us that 'a classic is never finished saying what it has to say' (as Italo Calvino wrote) and modeled a vibrant, flexible creativity that we all found inspiring. I've taught Shakespeare's play and seen this show many times, but came away from her discussion with a new appreciation of both Macbeth and Sleep No More."   

So often at NYU and in Liberal Studies, we speak of using the "city as our classroom," and being "in and of the city." Now, as our students continue their studies remotely from within the same four walls each day, Professor Karen Karbiener has managed to, in her own words, "bring the city into [our] students' own spaces."