Clara Bertagnolli, Graduate Student, University of South Carolina

Proposal Type: Roundtable

Abstract: We are seeking participants for our proposed roundtable, “Digital Humanities in the Classroom: Student Projects as Scholarly Products.” Participants should have experience with digital projects produced in classroom settings. We hope this roundtable will highlight the pedagogical value of digital humanities, particularly by sharing common experiences, providing mutual feedback, and discussing best practices for using digital humanities in the classroom. In addition, we believe the conversation can further insights into interdisciplinary collaboration, the vitality of academic partnerships, and new forms of public engagement.

Seeking: The growing field of digital humanities is a prime example of “History on the Edge,” providing new opportunities for presenting scholarship to the public in an engaging way. In addition, it has pedagogical applications for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in which students develop their own digital humanities projects. Courses can even include students at varying levels of technical expertise. Ideally, their work will result in a scholarly product that both educates the public and is eligible for peer review. Digital humanities courses use an innovative approach that allows students to interact with emerging digital concepts and practices, preparing them for careers that increasingly demand such skills. This, in turn, forces students to develop project management skills, acquire new technical knowledge (often through troubleshooting), navigate “real world” challenges (e.g., budget considerations and intellectual property rights), and operate comfortably in a trial-and-error environment.

Within the theme of digital humanities and pedagogy, we have several possible topics for discussion:

– How to balance project goals and pedagogical priorities.
– The importance of establishing key partnerships inside and outside the university.
– The challenges and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration.
– Dealing with technological limitations.
– Strategies for raising public awareness and interest.
– Licensing of student work and other concerns about intellectual property.
– Considering opportunities for peer review or other scholarly recognition.
– What to do with the project when the semester ends.

As proof of the potential and success of digital humanities courses, the organizers represent a semester-long project from the University of South Carolina. The work of the Digitizing Bull Street class demonstrates the viability of this classroom model. By exploring the emerging field of digital humanities, students gained experience with the digital possibilities open to public historians. Sixteen undergraduate and graduate students created a website that presents the history of the South Carolina State Hospital, known locally as “Bull Street.” The hospital is a historic mental health facility located near downtown Columbia, S.C., which is slated currently for private redevelopment. However, despite widespread local interest, few easily accessible resources with information on the history and built environment of the hospital exist. In one semester, we completed significant research on the hospital and developed a website to display our findings through a timeline, interactive map, digital image collections, blog, and individual building narratives.

Given the successful and collaborative work of our project, we look forward to speaking with representatives of other projects and developing our proposal further. If you are interested in participating, please send a description of your project to Clara Bertagnolli at clara[at]email.sc.edu by July 1, 2014.

Sincerely, Clara Bertagnolli, Chris Fite, Sarah Moore, Robert Olguin

Related Topics: Digital, Memory, Teaching

If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to share contact information for other people the proposer should reach out to, please get in contact directly: Clara Bertagnolli, clara[at]email.sc.edu

If you have general ideas or feedback to share please feel free to use the comments feature below.

Discussion

8 comments
  1. I am interested in joining your panel, but want to make sure that my work is different enough from yours. My class Creating Digital History (http://creatingdigitalhistory.wikidot.com/) is run out of the Archives and Public History Master’s Program at New York University (History Department). Students use Omeka to build the Greenwich Village Digital History Archive, an Omeka-based application. They each add 20 documents to the archive on a theme, and then create a digital exhibit on that theme, where they can use any of the items in the archive. They also blog about the process and digital history (https://greenwichvillagehistory.wordpress.com/). I checked out your site and it looks like you are also using Omeka and blogging. Let me know what you think!

  2. Thomas Cauvin says:

    I like your idea very much. I also think that having students in your workshop would provide another level of discussion. I organized a working group on PH Teaching in 2013 and students brought very interesting – first-hand- comments.

  3. Denise Meringolo says:

    There are several University projects in which students create content for curatescape-based apps. I wonder if any graduate students who work on Spokane Historical might be interested in joining you. Contact Dr. Larry Cebula

  4. Larry Cebula says:

    Thanks for the shout-out, Denise. I have appeared on the NCPH program something like four out of the last six conferences and should really sit down and listen for a change. I do strongly agree though that Curatescape is a platform that is being widely used to publish student work. You can see our stuff at SpokaneHistorical.org, or go to Curatescape.org to see the 30-40 other projects around the country.

    Also, I have a couple of terrific grad students who could serve on the roundtable. Let me know if interested.

  5. Cassie Kilroy Tompson says:

    It might be interesting to seek out community participants – that is, users of digital content to see whether there is a different view from the user community.

  6. My colleague(s) at Rhode Island College and I are interested in joining the panel. We have an interdisciplinary project that involves students and community members writing biographies and helping to design virtual tours (using ARC GIS) of Providence’s historic North Burial Ground. My big question is if this would be merely a discussion, or if participants would also have some opportunity to present their projects as well. I’d love to be part of a discussion like this, but I also would like to b e able to talk about our work in more depth and get some feedback on our ongoing project.

  7. Hi,
    I’ve been teaching Intro to Public History with a strong digital project component for several years. This past fall, working in collaboration with colleagues at UNC’s Digital Innovation Lab, I was able to introduce a new model of project using WordPress and the DH Press plugin to create an interpretive/mapping project on aspects of the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The project is here: http://projects.dhpress.org/unbuiltparkway/ and the assignment is here: https://publichistory.web.unc.edu/syllabus/graded_work/project/. My colleague Pam Lach (technical lead in the DIL) and I would love to join the panel as we have spent a good bit of time this past spring thinking, writing, and speaking about lessons learned in scaffolding and carrying out this project–some of which we are adapting to planning for this coming fall (which will involve more direct collaboration with the staff at Blue Ridge Parkway). So I would think by next spring we will have a lot to talk about. Thanks for your consideration; I’m also sending you an email.

  8. So great work for informing us of the possibilities and following a certain path.

    I really appreciate your hard work an giving us some information and inspiring others to follow.

    Thanks so much.

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