Research Methods for the Digital Humanities
AMST 301
Fall 2012
| Section:
01
|
This course provides an introduction to the theoretical questions and methodological strategies that define the emerging field of the digital humanities. Just as the Internet has changed the way we communicate, socialize, and access information, it is also transforming the way scholars research, teach, and produce scholarship. The use of the Web and communication technology to create and share historical knowledge through databases, hypertextualization, and networks offers exciting possibilities and unique challenges. To examine the rapidly evolving approaches of the digital humanities and new media, this course is divided into three parts. The class begins by evaluating the theory of a digital methodology by evaluating the characteristics that define the field, the limits of its approaches, and the way it does or does not transform traditional forms of scholarship. The second unit addresses the presentation of historical knowledge on websites, as historical scholarship, and as a form of public history. The course concludes by exploring how digital methods and strategies can be practically applied in conducting research, teaching in the classroom, and in displaying historical data on the Web. The final project of the class will be to construct an interactive visually rich website using an open source program called SIMILE (http://simile.mit.edu/). This class will equip students with the skills to use digital sources in future research projects while also developing the technological methods and strategies essential in the 21st century classroom and in a variety of other postgraduate careers. |
|
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA AMST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
|
Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
|
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Daniel J. Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig, DIGITAL HISTORY: A GUIDE TO GATHERING, PRESERVING, AND PRESENTING THE PAST ON THE WEB (University of Pennsylvania, 2005).
Additional readings on Moodle/web
|
Examinations and Assignments:
Paper addressing the theoretical and methodological challenges of the digital humanities. Build a website using SIMILE as a final project. |
| Instructor(s): Hoffman,Brian Scott Times: ..T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: FISK412; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 12 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 5 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: X | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
|
|