Introduction to Digital Humanities, Public History, and Information Literacy

Catalog description

Digital Humanities is an academic field in which Humanities-driven research questions are interrogated or communicated using digital or computational methods. In an increasingly technological and globalized world, this field has contributed to the accessibility and democratization of historical knowledge. This has brought both incredible benefits and challenges to the discipline of History, and more specifically the sub-field of Public History. That is, history education and dissemination conducted outside the classroom in contexts that engage popular audiences, such as museums and archaeological or historical sites, through printed materials, online content creation, public performances, and the like. This has at times created new dynamics between the public, with varying levels of information literacy, and Historians, as the professional stewards of our shared past. This course introduces students to the foundational concepts and methods of Digital Humanities, Public History, and Information Literacy (DPHIL), provides opportunities for practical skill building, interrogates paradigms of academia and knowledge acquisition, and considers the roles of citizens and scholars in the maintenance of historical knowledge. The course culminates in a practical DPHIL project. May not be repeated for History credit. Prerequisite: General Education Focus on Written Communication and Integrative and Applied Learning course, preferably HST 210 .