Amplified Voices: Zines, Theatre, and Open Pedagogy

Presentation Type

Presentation

Start Date

7-4-2026 3:30 PM

End Date

7-4-2026 3:50 PM

Description

This interactive presentation highlights a collaborative open pedagogy project implemented in an undergraduate vocal theatre course. The scaffolded assignment guided students through research practices and source evaluation, culminating in the creation of student-authored zines focused on vocal warmups. Students explored the history of zines as small, often hand-designed publications rooted in self-expression, community knowledge-sharing, and alternative publishing, values closely aligned with open education practices.

Rather than producing a traditional research paper, students synthesized their findings into creative zines that center voice both pedagogically and literally. Throughout the project, students engaged in discussions about open licensing, authorship, and consent, making informed decisions about how their work would be shared and reused. The resulting zines are published as chapters in an openly licensed textbook designed to grow each semester, creating a living resource shaped by successive cohorts. Physical copies are also displayed in the campus library, extending student work into a public, participatory space and emphasizing the performative dimensions of theatre.

This presentation examines the collaborative design process between librarians and faculty and offers strategies for integrating open pedagogy into performance-based courses. Attendees will leave with practical approaches amplifying student voices and creativity.

Author Bios

Bethany Mickel is the Instructional Design & OER Librarian at the University of Virginia, facilitating open education initiatives and collaborating with faculty, staff, and students on open projects. She partners with librarians and faculty to embed pedagogical design and create information and media literacy resources. Her recent work explores GenAI in OER, including co-authoring Fostering AI Literacy: A Guide for Educators in Higher Education.

Amy Hunsaker is the Music & Performing Arts Librarian at the University of Virginia, where she provides research and instructional support. Her professional interests encompass a wide range of topics including the scholarly communications lifecycle, digital cultural preservation, and the role of women in music and the arts. 

Amy currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Music References Services Quarterly

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Apr 7th, 3:30 PM Apr 7th, 3:50 PM

Amplified Voices: Zines, Theatre, and Open Pedagogy

This interactive presentation highlights a collaborative open pedagogy project implemented in an undergraduate vocal theatre course. The scaffolded assignment guided students through research practices and source evaluation, culminating in the creation of student-authored zines focused on vocal warmups. Students explored the history of zines as small, often hand-designed publications rooted in self-expression, community knowledge-sharing, and alternative publishing, values closely aligned with open education practices.

Rather than producing a traditional research paper, students synthesized their findings into creative zines that center voice both pedagogically and literally. Throughout the project, students engaged in discussions about open licensing, authorship, and consent, making informed decisions about how their work would be shared and reused. The resulting zines are published as chapters in an openly licensed textbook designed to grow each semester, creating a living resource shaped by successive cohorts. Physical copies are also displayed in the campus library, extending student work into a public, participatory space and emphasizing the performative dimensions of theatre.

This presentation examines the collaborative design process between librarians and faculty and offers strategies for integrating open pedagogy into performance-based courses. Attendees will leave with practical approaches amplifying student voices and creativity.