Assignments

Class Engagement + Weekly Blog Posts (40%)

Due: Weekly on Sundays by 11:59pm

Over the course of the semester, students will contribute fourteen blog reflection posts (one per week, except for the last two weeks). Posts should be roughly 500-750 words each. Each weekly module includes a writing prompt corresponding with each week’s themes, digital tools/approaches, and in-class technical activities. In your post, be sure to include any relevant artifacts: images/screenshots of your work, links, examples of your digital creations, etc.

Responding to your peers’ blogs is not required, but I encourage you to read each others’ work and join in the conversation when something sparks your interest. With a small seminar, this exchange can enrich everyone’s experience!

To gain the most out of this course, you will need to demonstrate active engagement with the materials, discussions, and practicing digital skills. Mondays are structured for more seminar-style discussion, while Wednesdays focus on tutorials and hands-on experimentation.

Digital Humanities Pedagogy Project and Reflection Blog Essay (60%)

Skill Demonstration on December 3 | Final Essay and Guide Due December 11 by 11:59pm

For your final project, you will design and produce an instructional tutorial guide for a Digital Humanities tool or skill not covered in the course. You will then pair your tutorial with a longer reflection essay, submitted as your final blog post. The goal of this project is to both expand your familiarity with digital methods by engaging in something that sparks your interest and to think critically about the role of pedagogy in Digital Humanities.

Part 1: Design an Instructional Tutorial Guide – Draft due December 3 for skill demonstration

Create a step-by-step instructional guide for your chosen skill. Think of it as a resource that could be shared on a digital humanities website, open-access repository (such as Knowledge Commons), or class syllabus.

Expectations for the guide:

• Structure: Organize your guide with headings, numbered steps, and screenshots/images where appropriate.
• Content:
  • Brief introduction to the tool: what it does, how it is used, its significance
  • Instructions for getting started (installation and setup)
  • Walkthrough of core functions, with examples
  • Walkthrough of any additional functions or an applied exercise for readers to try
  • Resources for further exploration (links to documentation, forums, example projects)
• Clarity & Accessibility: Write for an audience of interested users encountering the tool for the first time. Consider accessibility and universal design principles in the creation of your guide.
• Format and Length: The format of the guide is up to you (document, video tutorial, slide deck, visual guide — creativity is welcome!). The guide should be roughly the equivalent of 4–6 pages including relevant visuals and screenshots for demonstration.

Part 2: Final Reflection Essay (submitted as a blog post) – Due December 11 with revised guide

Your final blog post will be a substantial reflection essay that situates your tutorial within the broader conversations of Digital Humanities and pedagogy. This essay may examine your process of “learning to teach” the digital skill, the challenges you encountered along the way, and a discussion of how this skill engages broader Digital Humanities practices, theories, and methods.

Expectations for the reflection essay:

• Include a link to your guide or embed it in your post
• Length: 1,500–2,000 words (roughly twice the length of your normal posts)
• Sources: Include at least 5–7 scholarly or professional sources (this may include the tool’s own documentation, journal articles, books, chapters, case studies, blogs, etc.)