Speculative Pedagogies in Practice: A Workshop on Archives and Teaching Otherwise

What does it look like to teach with speculation? This spring presentation marks the second phase of Seanna Viechweg's DH fellowship project: moving from the design of Folkloric Futures, her Omeka-based digital archive of Caribbean folkloric figures, to the pedagogical possibilities that alternative archives open up.

In lieu of a traditional presentation, this session invites participants into an interactive workshop drawn from Seanna's "Digital Speculative Pedagogy" Spring series. Organized around the question “What stories do archives tell and what stories do they leave out?,” this workshop asks us to sit with archival gaps and misrepresentations, and to practice speculative reinterpretation as a way of asking "what if?" when archives fall short. Together, we'll explore how interpretive choices ultimately shape the stories an archive can tell. No technical experience required; all activities begin low-tech, with digital tools as optional extensions.

This event is virtual; please register to receive Zoom information. All are welcome. Come ready to think, make, and imagine alongside us!

In addition to being the 2025-26 Scholars' Lab Graduate Digital Humanities Fellow, Seanna Viechweg is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English. She is also a part of the university’s inaugural Caribbean Literatures, Arts, and Culture research cluster. Her research focuses on African-American and Caribbean writers, with an emphasis on Black speculative fiction, neo-slave narratives, as well as overlaps with Environmental and Digital Humanities.