Students are encouraged to put their understanding of cross-cultural analysis into practice through independent project-based learning and self-designed research outputs – channelling the joy and exhilaration of being transported into alternative ways of being, knowing and relating, and incorporating these into their personal learning pathways. To support independent student learning, Dr Schuster has introduced “un-essays” (scaffolded, individually designed, applied assessments) to ANU and internationally to her discipline and has designed a curriculum suite of hands-on practicums that support students “doing ethnography” themselves. 

That students are able to apply the skills developed through un-essay assessments beyond the classroom, and even beyond the ANU, is supported by student projects that have been published, translated and shared by international students in their home country, and developed into supervised research.  

Caroline integrates ethnographic theory and methods into her teaching practice as well as her leadership of postgraduate programs and HDR training at the ANU. Anthropological fieldwork raises significant issues of human research ethics, and as a longstanding member of the Human Research Ethics Committee she has worked to develop best practices for student training in classroom settings as well as provided extensive guidance and mentoring for Honours and Master students submitting ethics applications. 

Her passion for communicating anthropological insights to diverse publics has led her to develop pedagogical applications attached to some of her highest impact research on economic anthropology, gender and sexuality, and climate change. These have been published in international scholarly outlets, thereby advancing research-led teaching in the fields of anthropology, and environmental and feminist studies.

I have felt that for me, Carly was able to facilitate the kind of learning that benefits me the most, through encouraging critical and creative, expansive thinking. I have found that when she is the teacher, I get so much more out of the course and also produce outputs that feel like a real achievement.

Student nomination, CASS Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2022

I really had the sense of going on a journey of learning. The assessments were extraordinary – again, perfectly positioned to ‘make real’ the learnings from the readings. Probably the best course I have studied at ANU.

Student comment, SELT