Greek and Latin papyri as generative learning objects (2008-2010)
This project, funded by the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology, sought to create resources and consider strategies to support independent research on papyri by MA-level students. Our work had two concrete outcomes: First, to enhance students' induction into independent research, we designed, built, and tested a new interface to guide students' access of the powerful but intimidating LUNA database of digital images of Manchester papyri already in development at the John Rylands University Library. Second, we created a Generative Learning Object (GLO) to explore the wider pedagogical issues surrounding papyri, based on one of the most evocative pieces in the Rylands collection. We found that for students at MA level, the two outcomes complemented one another successfully.
A Generative Learning Object (GLO) is any digital learning object that can be customised, adapted, edited or recombined for specific teaching and learning purposes. One of the aims of our project was to evaluate the utility of such objects for teaching students at all levels about late antiquity.
As part of our engagement with GLO pedagogy, we also created a GLO based on a late antique coin from the collection at the Manchester Museum. Both of the GLOs which we have made will be used with groups of first year students from the Combined Studies degree programme at the University of Manchester in 2010-11.
You can explore online versions of our GLOs and see a copy of our project report by following the links below.
- Link to project report (, 44 KB)