The Essay and the Unessay in the Early Modern Classroom

This article suggests that the standard end-of-year term paper structures our relationship to our students and pedagogy and then argues that all three are in need of revision. The term paper assumes an apprentice model of education, where students are asked to produce a beginner’s version of the kind of research projects professional scholars produce. The fact that very few of our students will finish this apprenticeship and become actual scholars has not stopped us from continuing to follow this model. In its place, I suggest using an “unessay,” an open-ended assignment, which allows students to take existing scholarships and convey that knowledge through whatever medium they choose (podcast, video, art installation, etc.). This assignment allows students to practice skills that may be useful in their personal and professional lives, all while offering them the chance to explore aspects of early modern culture and texts that interest them.