THIS SYLLABUS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS<\/p>\n
HIST 428: Adventures in Digital History<\/strong><\/p>\n TR, 9:30-10:45 Jeffrey McClurken Twitter: @jmcclurken<\/a><\/p>\n Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n This seminar will focus on the process of creating digital history.\u00a0 The course readings, workshops, and discussions will be aimed at exposing students to the philosophy and practice of the emerging field of History and Digital Media (sometimes called Digital Humanities).\u00a0 The course will be centered on the creation of three digital history projects, all of which are related to making local resources available online.\u00a0 These projects will include\u00a0developing an immersive tour of the the James Monroe Museum (JMM) and videos of some of the objects and items stored or on display there; digitizing\u00a0the National Cemetery register from the National Park Service\u2019s Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (NPS) and creating a map that links that register to soldiers’ information; creating a digital project about Virginia’s State Historical Markers (SHSM) that builds on the work of previous Digital History students.<\/p>\n This course counts in the History Major, the American Studies Major, the Museum Studies Minor, the Communication and Digital Studies Major, and as a capstone course in the Digital Studies Minor.<\/p>\n Departmental Learning Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n Course\u00a0Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n Every student and group will:<\/p>\n 1) Complete a group project based on a contract made between the group and the professor<\/p>\n 2) Post weekly progress reports on your own DoOO-based blog<\/p>\n 3) Regularly present to the class about the status of your project<\/p>\n 4) Participate in class discussions of readings, videos, and the process of creating digital history<\/p>\n 5) Participate in class workshops related to specific programs<\/p>\n 6) Create or refine a digital r\u00e9sum\u00e9 or e-portfolio for yourself.<\/p>\n 7) At end of the semester, complete a brief paper\/blog post reflecting on the process and defending your project as contracted<\/p>\n 8) Make any changes to the project required by the professor after the final version is completed.<\/p>\n Students are expected to attend all classes, read all assigned texts, and participate in class. Laptops are not required, but it will often be easier to have your own computer here as you learn new skills, hear about various tools, explore particular web sites, and work on your own digital projects. [Projects are due at the start of class (9:30 AM) on the day they are due. Assignments are considered late if turned in\/edited\u00a0anytime<\/strong>\u00a0after that. Late projects will be penalized one full letter grade or, after 24 hours, not accepted.]<\/p>\n Discussions<\/strong><\/p>\n Students are expected to attend all classes having read the assigned material. Class participation includes\u00a0actively\u00a0<\/strong>participating in daily discussions and responding to class presentations. To that end, for each class for which there are readings\/videos, students should also prepare a list of comments on the material (parallels, problems, factual questions, reminders of past readings, connections to ideas from other classes or from \u201creal life\u201d) so that they have those points in front of them for the discussion. Although I have no current plan to collect these comments, I reserve the right to do so at some point during the semester.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blogging<\/strong><\/p>\n Narrating the planning, research, and implementation processes via your blogs is a central part of the class and a way for me to measure your effort, your creativity, and your progress as digital scholars. Blog about your problems as well as your successes. Be sure to comment on each others\u2019 blogs and help each other out. This is a community of people going through similar efforts that you can tap into, so do so. [As you comment, follow ProfHacker’s guidelines for commenting<\/a>.]\u00a0\u00a0Weekly posts & comments are a minimum expectation of the class.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Texts<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel J. Cohen & Roy Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web<\/em>\u00a0(2006). Available at\u00a0http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/digitalhistory\/<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Other texts for this semester are also available on-line.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Final Grades<\/strong><\/p>\n Final grades will be determined based on class participation (including blogging, mini assignments, and regular presentations to the class) (35%), on performance on the group contract (5%) and group project (50%), and on the quality of the final formal presentations on the group projects (10%). [Unsatisfactory mid-semester reports will be reported for anyone with a grade of D or below at that time.]<\/p>\n Honor Code<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe in the Honor Code as an essential, positive component of the Mary Washington experience. You should know that if you cheat or plagiarize in this class, you will fail, and I will take you to the Honor Council, so do not do it. On the other hand, I also believe that having friends or family read and comment on your writing can be extremely helpful and falls within the bounds of the Honor Code (assuming the writing itself remains yours). If you have questions about these issues, then you should talk to me sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n Group Projects<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 See\u00a0Project Outlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Group Contracts<\/strong><\/p>\n Each group will create contracts with me about their projects. The contracts are due Monday, February 12 (BY NOON<\/span>), though each will need to be approved by me & may need to be tweaked before that happens. Each contract must include:<\/p>\n NOTE: These contracts may be revised as the semester goes on, though only with good reasons and only after a meeting with me.<\/p>\n NOTE #2: Although each group will receive one shared grade for their contract, on the final project everyone will earn an individual and a group project grade, which will be averaged together to make each person\u2019s project grade.<\/p>\n Digital R\u00e9sum\u00e9\/E-Portfolio\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n During Week 8, we will discuss ways of showcasing your work (digital and otherwise) in an electronic portfolio. \u00a0Each student will be expected to create their own (or share an existing) digital r\u00e9sum\u00e9 by\u00a0Tuesday, March 20.<\/p>\n Regular Presentations<\/strong>\u00a0(Updates)<\/p>\n Starting in week 7, each group will be expected to make weekly status updates in class (typically) on Thursdays on its progress toward their projects. Although some weeks 5-minute updates will be sufficient, every other week groups will need to present a more thorough update. See the schedule for more details on when your group does which presentation.<\/p>\n End of the Semester (Public) Presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n At the end of the semester each group will make a formal, public 8-10 minute presentation summarizing their project. More on this later in the semester.<\/p>\n Reflection post\/defense of contract<\/strong><\/p>\n In the last week of the semester, each person will be expected to write a brief blog post or paper (your choice). This paper (~1-2 pages\/~500 words) should reflect on the process and defend your group\u2019s project as contracted.<\/p>\n Format of class meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n Although this is, for the most part, a traditional face-to-face class, some of our class sessions will take place virtually, including when we have inclement weather.\u00a0 Sometimes that work will be asynchronous with groups or individuals working on their own, and sometimes the session will take place synchronously via Zoom videoconferencing.\u00a0 More information about this before it happens.<\/p>\n Why are we reading a 12-year old book about Digital History?<\/strong><\/p>\n Our \u201ctext\u201d is Cohen and Rosenzweig\u2019s Digital History<\/em><\/a>, written in 2006. While it remains useful in bringing up key issues for those considering creating digital history projects, it is also a piece of digital history itself.\u00a0 For each week that we read a chapter or two of Digital History, <\/em>I\u2019ll offer extra credit if you write a blog post in which you identify passages or concepts that need to be updated (be precise), find current sources (at least 2017 or newer), and summarize how the section should be updated. Tag these posts \u201cDHUpdate2018\u201d.\u00a0 We will also work as a class in Week 12 to update the text via annotation.<\/p>\n Accommodations<\/strong><\/p>\n The Office of Disability Resources (ODR) has been designated by the University as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you receive services through the Office of Disability Services and require accommodations for this class, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodation needs. Bring your accommodation letter with you to the appointment. I will hold any information you share with me in strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.<\/p>\n If you have not made contact with the Office of Disability Resources and have reasonable accommodation needs, I will be happy to help you contact them. The office will require appropriate documentation of a disability.<\/p>\n Food and Housing<\/b><\/p>\n Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Office of Student Life (x1200) for support. Furthermore, please notify me (if you are comfortable in doing so). This will enable me to help connect you to those resources.<\/span><\/p>\n Digital Knowledge Center The Digital Knowledge Center (DKC) provides UMW students with peer tutoring on digital projects and assignments. Any student at the University can take advantage of the Center\u2019s services by scheduling an appointment to work one-one-one or in a group with a student tutor; when a tutor is available, the Center also provides walk-in assistance. Tutorials can cover a wide-range of topics related to common digital systems, technologies, new media, and tools used in courses at UMW; the Center also provides training to students interested in learning how to use the Advanced Media Production Studio (HCC 115). DKC tutors adhere to the UMW Honor Code in all tutorials; they are available to provide guidance and advice, but they cannot create, produce, or edit work on a student\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n Writing Center The UMW Writing Center offers assistance on all types of writing projects.<\/p>\n Speaking Center<\/strong><\/p>\n UMW Libraries Help Desk Course Schedule*<\/strong><\/p>\n Week 1<\/strong><\/p>\n Jan. 16<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Introduction of Syllabus, Course, and Digital Tools \u2013 Slack<\/a>, Domain of One’s Own<\/a>, WordPress<\/a>, Zotero<\/a>, Hypothes.is<\/a><\/p>\n Jan. 18<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 What is Digital History? \u00a0[What are the Digital Humanities? \u00a0How are the two different?] \u2014 Brief Group Meetings (with Luisa and Scott)<\/p>\n Reading<\/strong>: Read Cohen & Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History<\/em>, Introduction, Ch. 1<\/a>; Stephen Robertson, “The Differences between Digital Humanities and Digital History<\/a>“;\u00a0How did they make that?<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Skim also\u00a0AHA Resources on Digital History<\/a>\u00a0(many great resources linked here);\u00a0Wikipedia definitions of\u00a0Digital History<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Digital Humanities<\/a><\/p>\n Assignments for Thursday:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Week 2<\/strong><\/p>\n Jan. 23<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Digital Workshop \u2013 Omeka & Mapping Tools<\/p>\n Jan. 25<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Exploring Other Digital History Projects \u2014 Group Meeting<\/p>\n Reading for Tuesday<\/strong>: Cohen & Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History<\/em>,\u00a0Chapter 2<\/a>,\u00a0Chapter 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Thursday, check out:<\/strong><\/p>\n Blogging assignment for Thursday:\u00a0<\/strong>Based on your review of the Digital History projects above:\u00a0Think about what you like about these digital projects as a whole, and what you don\u2019t.\u00a0 What works and what doesn\u2019t?\u00a0 What elements would you want to incorporate and which do you want to avoid in your own project?<\/p>\n During\u00a0Thursday’s class, each group should post a summary of their discussions (to one group member’s class blog) about the other DH sites and how that impacts\u00a0their own ideas about their projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n References<\/strong>:<\/p>\n For more on when and why historians began to focus on mapping and space, see Jo Guldi’s “The Spatial Turn in History.”<\/a><\/p>\n Miriam Posner,\u00a0\u201cUp and Running with Omeka.net,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 and\u00a0\u201cCreating an Omeka.net Exhibit,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0The Programming Historian, 2 [Note that this topic is for a hosted Omeka account.\u00a0 You could also create an Omeka Installation in your Domain of One\u2019s Own account.]<\/em><\/p>\n Lincoln Mullen,\u00a0“Spatial History tools”<\/a><\/p>\n More generally, for advanced topics in digital history, check out the other lessons in the Programming Historian<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Week 3<\/strong><\/p>\n Jan. 30<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Digital Workshop \u2013 Media Recording and Editing, Timeline Tools<\/p>\n Feb. 1\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Digital Archives and Issues of Digitization \u2014 Group Meeting<\/p>\n Reading for Tuesday<\/strong>: \u00a0Cohen & Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History<\/em>,\u00a0Chapter 3<\/a>,\u00a0Chapter 6<\/a>; Trevor Owens, “What do you mean by archive?”<\/a><\/p>\n By Thursday, check out at least five of the following digital projects<\/strong>:\u00a0Hurricane Digital Memory Bank<\/a>,\u00a0September 11 Digital Archive<\/a>,\u00a0Footnote.com<\/a>;\u00a0JSTOR<\/a>;\u00a0Internet Archive<\/a>;\u00a0A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln<\/a>;\u00a0Famous Law trials<\/a>;\u00a0Criminal Intent<\/a>;\u00a0Photogrammar<\/a>;\u00a0Hull House and Neighborhoods<\/a>; Lost & Found Archive Project<\/a>, Searching for Residential Schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n Assignments for Thursday: During\u00a0Thursday’s class, each group should post a summary of their discussions (to one group member’s class blog) about the sites examined and potential issues with digitization.\u00a0 Again, be sure to note what lessons your group takes from these discussions for your own project.<\/strong><\/p>\n Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Week 4<\/strong><\/p>\n Feb. 6<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Digital Workshop \u2013 Topic Modeling, Text Mining, and Network Analysis<\/p>\n Feb. 8<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Group Meeting<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Reading<\/strong>: Cohen & Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History<\/em>, Ch. 5<\/a> (we\u2019ll discuss this next week, but it\u2019s important to read before you complete your group contracts).<\/p>\n See also Cohen,\u00a0Google Books, Ngrams and Culturomics<\/a>; Rob Nelson,\u00a0Mining the\u00a0Dispatch<\/em><\/a>; Megan Brett, “Topic Modeling: A Basic Introduction<\/a>,”\u00a0Journal of Digital Humanities<\/em>, 2012;\u00a0Topic Modeling and Mallet<\/a>, The Programming<\/em> Historian<\/em>; Voyant Tools<\/a>;\u00a0<\/em>Scott Weingart, “Demystifying Networks: Part 1 of n<\/em>“<\/a><\/p>\n Group Contracts are due as shared Google Doc from each group on\u00a0Monday, February 12\u00a0(BY NOON<\/span>)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Week 5<\/strong><\/p>\n Feb. 13<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Group Meeting and Planning \u2014 discussions of contract proposals<\/p>\n Feb. 15<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Thinking About and Building an Audience \u2014 Discuss C&R, Ch. 5<\/p>\n Revised Contracts are due by Week 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Feb. 20\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014\u00a0Group Meeting and Planning<\/p>\n Feb. 22<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Copyright and Wikipedia: What\u2019s the Big Deal?<\/p>\n Reading<\/strong>: Cohen & Rosenzweig,\u00a0Digital History<\/em>, Ch.7<\/a>;\u00a0http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/<\/a>; Stanford\u2019s\u00a0guide to fair use<\/a>; Jimmy Wales (2005) How a Ragtag Band Created Wikipedia (watch at TED.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n
\nSpring 2018
\nHCC 327<\/p>\n
\nOffice Hours: By appointment. I have two offices (GW 105 and Monroe 226), but most days I will be in GW Hall. You can also contact me via a Slack DM.<\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/strong>The IT Help Desk provides support for technology-related problems or questions from the UMW Community.\u00a0If you are having difficulties connecting to online University resources, seek assistance from the Help Desk:<\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/strong>Build a basic map in StoryMapJS\u00a0<\/a>or any of the other mapping tools\u00a0you’ve learned about AND a basic timeline in TimeLineJS<\/a> or a similar tool with at least five events AND a quick (less than two minute) video about some aspect of your group’s project.\u00a0 Embed all three on your WordPress site in a blog post about the experience and about how you might use them in your project.\u00a0 You may replace one of these three with an Aurasma<\/a>\/HP Reveal<\/a> project.<\/p>\n\n
Noon on Friday, February 16.<\/del> Monday, February 19 at 6 pm.<\/strong><\/p>\n