Introduction to Digital Humanities

ENGL 5074, Spring 2014

This is the class website for English 5074: Introduction to Digital Humanities, taught by Quinn Warnick at Virginia Tech in spring 2014. Powered by Jekyll and Hyde. (Get it?) Content licensed under Creative Commons.

Warning: This is an archived course website that is part of my teaching portfolio, so some links may no longer work. Please contact me with any questions about this site.

Course Calendar

Note: This calendar is tentative and will almost certainly change. All major projects and reading assignments are listed, but I might add a short piece or two each week, depending on our schedule and everyone’s interests. The most accurate version of what we’re doing during the coming week will always be found on the homepage.

Week Monday Wednesday
1

January 22

  • Overview of the course
  • Introduction to first assignment: Analysis of a Digital Humanities Project
  • Taking stock of who we are and how we work
2

January 27

  • What is (are?) the digital humanities?
  • Assign “discussion superheroes”
  • READ: Understanding Digital Humanities, pp. 1–66; Digital_Humanities, pp. 1–26

January 29

  • RSS and social media workshop
  • DEADLINE: Select a site for Analysis of a Digital Humanities Project
3

February 3

  • Rethinking definitions of the digital humanities
  • READ: Debates in the Digital Humanities, Part I (“Defining the Digital Humanities,” pp. 1–71 in the print edition)
  • Discussion Superheroes: Jennifer and Katie

February 5

  • Managing digital assets workshop
4

February 10

  • Close vs. distant reading
  • READ: Understanding Digital Humanities, pp. 191–209; Macroanalysis, pp. 1–62
  • Discussion Superheroes: Ashley and Alexis

February 12

  • Rapid-fire presentations of DH project analyses (postponed due to snow)
  • DEADLINE: Analysis of a Digital Humanities Project
5

February 17

  • Rapid-fire presentations of DH project analyses

February 19

  • DH methods for studying literature; text analysis workshop
  • READ: Macroanalysis, pp. 63–117
  • Discussion Superheroes: Ashley and Alexis
6

February 24

  • DH methods for studying literature (continued)
  • READ: Macroanalysis, pp. 118–175
  • Discussion Superheroes: Lindsey and Andrew K.

February 26

  • HTML and CSS workshop
7

March 3

  • Methodological challenges
  • READ: Understanding Digital Humanities, pp. 67–84; Debates in the Digital Humanities, pp. 249–58
  • Discussion Superheroes: Lindsey and Andrew K.

March 5

  • Content management systems workshop

SPRING BREAK: No Classes
8

March 17

  • Software studies
  • READ: Understanding Digital Humanities, pp. 161–71 and 249–78
  • Discussion Superheroes: Katie and Andrew W.

March 19

  • No class (CCCC)
9

March 24

  • More varieties of digital humanities
  • READ: Digital_Humanities, pp. 27–60
  • Discussion Superheroes: Jennifer and Britt
  • DEADLINE: Documented Exploration of a Digital Humanities Tool

March 26

  • Special Collections training
10

March 31

  • Individual conferences to discuss the final project

April 2

  • Peer help session (Quinn is traveling)
11

April 7

  • Omeka Workshop

April 9

  • Gray Jacket Work Session
12

April 14

  • Web hosting workshop

April 16

  • Gray Jacket Work Session
  • DEADLINE: Finalize details of web hosting/publishing for the Individual Project
13

April 21

  • Critiquing the digital humanities
  • READ: Debates in the Digital Humanities, pp. 139–246
  • Discussion Superheroes: Arian and Michelle

April 23

  • Individual Project peer critique workshop
  • DEADLINE: Early draft of Individual Project
14

April 28

  • The future of the digital humanities
  • READ: Digital_Humanities, pp. 99–120; Debates in the Digital Humanities, pp. 415–509
  • Discussion Superheroes: Arian and Michelle

April 30

  • Gray Jacket Critique Session with guests from Special Collections
15

May 5

  • Individual Project presentations

May 7

  • Individual Project presentations
  • DEADLINE: Collaborative Class Project
16

FINALS WEEK

  • Final exam celebration (breakfast at Quinn’s house?)
  • DEADLINE: Individual Final Project due at the beginning of our final: May 12, 7:45 a.m.