Courtnay Konshuh

Early or Alternative Career Award – Other than Canadian History

Dr. Courtnay Konshuh’s hands-on courses in Medieval History at the University of Calgary exemplify innovative pedagogy that drives student engagement. Dr. Konshuh sparks her students’ curiosity by bringing material culture into the classroom, and by bringing students into the university’s Engineering MakerSpace 3D print lab, where they create models of the artifacts they’ve been studying. By mixing domestic items like spindle whorls with conventional subjects of study like elite weaponry, Dr. Konshuh encourages students to take seriously the labor of women as well as artisans, a feminist pedagogy which she further enhances by bringing female students into the often masculine-coded space of the lab and training them in the skillset to thrive there. She also uses immersion in the form of historic simulations to advance student understanding of the medieval past. The committee also recognizes Dr. Konshuh’s collaborative approach, including her partnerships with archivists, librarians, curators, and archaeologists, as well as her thoughtful use of teaching assistants. The impact of Dr. Konshuh’s teaching is clear from the testimonials of her students who see new value in doing history.