✨What is Digital Humanities? I’m glad you asked!✨
According to Digital Humanities Librarian Josh Honn, Digital Humanities scholarship can be characterized as:
- Humanistic scholarship presented in digital form(s)
- Humanistic scholarship enabled by digital methods & tools
- Humanistic scholarship about digital technology & culture
- Humanistic scholarship building and experimenting with digital technology
- [And perhaps most importantly] Humanistic scholarship critical of its own digital-ness1
Digital Humanities (DH) refers to both a community and a practice that applies computational tools and approaches to humanities research. In this course, we will examine how various technologies, skills, and scholarship can assist us in the pursuit of humanistic inquiry. Throughout the term, we will build a versatile skillset in areas such as data visualization, digital archiving and exhibit design, content management, text analysis, digital mapping, video gaming, web publishing, and audio/visual production.
Recognizing the interdisciplinary breadth of Digital Humanities, this particular course will focus on the application of DH through a framework of cultural heritage. Also known as cultural heritage informatics, this growing field focuses on the collection, preservation, analysis, and interpretation of cultural heritage materials in digital contexts. Students will engage with material culture, texts, audiovisual media, oral histories, architecture, memorialization, and traditions to examine the implications of digital access, communication, and storytelling in the preservation and presentation of cultural memory.
[1] Josh Honn, “Never Neutral: Critical Approaches to Digital Tools & Culture in the Humanities,” 2014.
About this Course
⏰ When: TuTh 11am-12:15pm | 📍Where: CHAT – Online, Synchronous via Webex
🍎 Your Professor
Dr. Jen Andrella
Pronouns: she/her
Email: jennifer.andrella[@]usm.edu
Student Hours
When: Tuesdays 12:15-2pm
Where: LAB 352
I’m also available by appointment; just email me to schedule!
🎉 Meme of the Day
🎓 Learning Outcomes
In this course, we will:
- Critically engage key debates within the field of digital humanities, including historical and ongoing issues of power, access, and representation.
- Become familiar with a variety of digital tools, programs, and software that can inform our understanding of cultural heritage.
- Evaluate and critique digital humanities projects for their design, methodology, contributions, and limitations.
- Assess the impact of digital technologies on cultural institutions (e.g. museums, libraries, archives) and their practices related to preservation, sustainability, accessibility, community collaboration, and public interpretation.
- Learn the ethics, responsibilities, and best practices of doing culturally-responsive and community-engaged Digital Humanities scholarship.
💛 Our Class Community
Fostering a safe, respectful, and accessible learning environment is my top priority. In this class, we will engage in difficult and sensitive topics with care and respect. We will practice thoughtful dialogue, treat each other with dignity, and actively contribute to an inclusive atmosphere where all are welcomed. I am always happy to meet you at your comfort level with the goal of encouraging you to challenge your abilities. I also practice a teaching philosophy that less is more; meaning that the more time we can devote towards a single topic, source, or tool, the more knowledge we will be able gather from it.
I understand that life happens and that personal and family emergencies may take your attention away from the course. Please communicate with me about your needs so that we can make the best accommodations for you. Your wellbeing is most important, and my job is to provide the time, space, and resources you need to be most successful. Please also visit the class resources and goals page for additional resources that USM offers to students.