Intro to DH
a minimal computing project for teaching digital humanities in prison

Syllabus

Course Overview

Intro to DH aims to introduce students to the landscape of digital humanities (DH) tools and methods through readings and classroom and online discussions, hands-on workshops, and collaborative projects, and to explore a broad range of ways to critically evaluate and incorporate digital technologies into their academic research. This course does not require prior technical skills.

In the first part of the course we will ask what the digital humanities is/are, and explore how its various approaches embody new ways of knowing and thinking. What kinds of questions, for instance, does digital humanities ask? What are some of the ways its methods and practices help attempt to answer these?

In the second part of the course students will learn to use tools widely used in digital humanities praxis. As they master these tools, students will produce a series of digital projects individually and in collaboration with others, and learn how to present their digital work effectively.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will become acquainted with the current landscape of the field of digital humanities

  • Students will become conversant with a range of debates in the field of DH through readings and discussions.

  • Students will begin to prepare their own digital portfolios.

  • Students will learn technical skills including command line (terminal, bash), version control (Git), HTML and CSS, Python, and Jekyll (Ruby).

  • Students will design and develop individual assignments and/or projects and a collaborative project.

Requirements and Structure

Most of the required material and resources are on this course site. Others will be provided by the instructor.

Students in the course should complete the following work during the semester:

Reading and Discussion (Weekly): students should complete all weekly readings in advance of the class meeting and should take an active part in class discussions.

Blogging (5 posts): students are expected to write five blog posts. These will be be posted on the blog in class and will consist of

  • two short responses to readings or in-class discussions;
  • three posts about praxis assignments;
  • one post about the collaborative project.

Students should comment on and respond to the posts of other students.

Course Policies

Attendance: students are expected to attend every class session of this course and to be on time. If you have special circumstances, please talk to the instructor.

Academic Integrity: all writing submitted for this course is understood to be your original work, unless you indicate otherwise. Careful attention to licenses and copyrights will help you figure out what you can use and when and how you should cite and attribute other people’s work.

Student Code of Conduct: all students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates mutual respect for the rights and personal and academic well-being of others, preserves the integrity of the social and academic environment, and supports the mission of the Program. The Program has an inherent right to address behavior that impedes, obstructs, or threatens the maintenance of order and attainment of the aforementioned goals by violating the standards of conduct set forth in the Program’s Community Standards, as well as in Article XV of the Bylaws of the City University of New York and other policies that may be established by the respective Schools, Institutions, Global Sites, and administrative offices of the University. The goals of the Program’s Community Standards are:

  • To promote an environment that supports the overall educational mission of the University
  • To protect the Program community from disruption and harm
  • To encourage appropriate standards of individual and group behavior
  • To foster ethical values and civic virtues
  • To foster personal learning and growth while at the same time holding individuals and groups accountable to the standards of expectations established by the Program’s Community Standards

Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations

The course site, course blog and digital materials on the course’s external storage devices follow the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 in order to make electronic content accessible to everyone who uses it. This course aims not only to be accessible but also to show students how to produce work within guidelines that makes their work accessible to everyone.

Any student who feels that they may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a disability should speak with the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. If you think you need such an accommodation and have a documented disability, please reach out to coordinate reasonable accommodations.