I was given the opportunity to conduct research into the student-led project 'Thinking Inside the Box 1973' (TITB). The project's focus was primarily to connect students to Latin American archives. However, it was extraordinarily innovative in its pedagogical approach which allowed students to gain invaluable experience in project management; independent research; networking; the list goes on and on...

Between June and July 2023, two other Laidlaw Scholars and I conducted eight interviews with the students involved in TITB, nine with the staff involved in the project, and several with stakeholders and members of the public. 'Friendship as method' (Tillman-Healy, 2003) was adopted for the student interviews, creating a more conversational and informal setting and encouraging experiential narrative learning (Clark & Rossiter, 2008). I took the lead in the staff interviews and gained great insight into the outcomes of the project as well as theoretical knowledge about the project's structure.

I will now transcribe these interviews so that I may be able to use quotations and analyse their answers. It will also be used to help inform a piece of literature my project supervisor (Anna Grimaldi) is writing on 'Thinking Inside the Box'.

From these interviews, I will explore how TITB's approach, involving primary archival research and community engagement, supported students to maximise their content-learning and apply their learning contextually and with real-world impact. Through the inclusive co-creation of learning aims and objectives, the pedagogical approach also allowed students to practice ownership and autonomy in designing their own authentic learning experiences and skills-development. I will discuss these findings in dialogue with more mainstream, institutionalised and hegemonic practices.

I have high aspirations for my research project and I hope to share it on a larger scale - but for now, I will just have to see where it takes me!