Teaching the difficult heritage of Italian Fascism

In recent years, the architectural legacy and so-called 'difficult heritage' of Fascist Italy has become a flourishing field of research. These topics have also begun to make their way into the undergraduate classroom. To date, however, there has been little research carried out into the methods we use to teach the history of Fascism in particular. In this short article, we outline how we have applied problem-based learning and scenario-based learning approaches to tackle this topic. After presenting three assignments, we explain the benefits associated with a PBL/SBL approach, summarised under the headings of interdisciplinarity, creativity and authenticity, before highlighting some aspects on which colleagues may wish to reflect if they are considering adopting a similar approach in their teaching. In anni recenti il patrimonio architettonico e il cosiddetto 'difficult heritage' dell'Italia fascista sono diventati un campo di ricerca fecondo. Questi temi hanno cominciato a farsi strada anche nelle aule universitarie. Tuttavia finora sono state condotti pochi studi sui metodi che utilizziamo per insegnare la storia del fascismo nelle universita. In questo breve articolo, delineiamo i modi in cui abbiamo affrontato questo argomento applicando metodi di apprendimento che si basano su problemi e scenari verosimili (PBL/SBL). Dopo aver presentato i tre compiti cha abbiamo affidato ai nostri studenti, spieghiamo i vantaggi associati a un approccio PBL/SBL, che sono riassunti sotto le voci di interdisciplinarita, creativita e autenticita, prima di evidenziare alcuni aspetti su cui i colleghi potrebbero voler riflettere se stanno pensando di adottare un approccio simile nei loro corsi di insegnamento.

Automated summary

In recent years, there has been a flourishing field of research on the architectural legacy and difficult heritage of Fascist Italy, and these topics have started to be introduced into undergraduate classrooms. However, there has been limited research on the methods used to teach the history of Fascism. This article outlines how problem-based learning and scenario-based learning approaches have been applied to tackle this topic, highlighting the benefits of interdisciplinary, creativity, and authenticity, and providing reflections for colleagues considering a similar approach in their teaching.