Syllabus: Digital History (HIST 5152) Fall 22
Table of contents
- About the course
- Policies
About the course
Course description
The use of digital methods to enhance and streamline the study, interpretation, and presentation of historical topics (the so-called “digital turn”) has gained a good bit of traction within the discipline in the recent past. This class will explore digital history methodologies, tools, and practices including digital mapping, data visualization, textual and social network analysis, interactive exhibitions, augmented and virtual reality, digital editions/publications, podcasts and oral history, the incorporation of digital pedagogy in the classroom, and more. In addition to gaining familiarity with various tools and technologies, students will discuss major issues in the field, including questions of narrative, audience, shared authority, ethics, accessibility, preservation, data integrity, and other considerations pertinent to the historical method. This course is eligible for credit toward the Graduate Certificate in Cultural Analytics.
Course learning outcomes 🎯
- Identify how methods of digital history might contribute to the advancement of individual research interests, scholarship, and professional goals.
- Evaluate digital projects based on emerging standards and best practices for digital and public-facing scholarship in history and related disciplines.
- Experiment with unfamiliar tools, methods, and workflows to answer historical research questions and reflect upon challenges, triumphs, and questions raised during the process
- Explain possibilities and risks embedded in the use of technology to study, analyze, and interpret the past, with particular attention to issues of transparency, ethics, accessibility, authority, and legitimacy.
Key questions ❓
- What is digital history? How do methods of the so-called digital turn intersect with the work of doing history?
- What are some of the pros and cons of using digital tools in the production of historical scholarship?
- How can I do cool things with digital tools and resources? Who else in the field is currently doing cool things?
- Where can I go for help if I have questions or need guidance, instructions, or inspiration for my projects? How do I keep updated on developments in the field?
Course texts + materials 📚
All course materials are available free-of-cost online, or otherwise will be provided to students by the instructor. Class readings are accessible through the course GitHub site.
How this course will be taught 🌐
We will meet in person on Mondays from 5:00 – 7:20PM in Gladfelter Hall, room 913. Our class meetings, with few exceptions, will be interactive “lab” sessions building on the week’s themes, readings, and other group and individual assignments.
Credits 👑
To give credit where credit is due: I am indebted to the expertise of many scholars who came before me. This and previous iterations of the syllabus borrows ideas from other DH practitioners including Abby Mullen, Fred Gibbs, Shawn Graham, Trevor Owens, Shannon Mattern, and Ben Schmidt.
You make redistribute, remix, reuse, or borrow from this syllabus under a Creative Commons 4.0 license (CC-BY-4.0)
Policies
General policies 🔔
All Temple University Academic Policies will be upheld.
Grading + course completion ⏰
Note: Dates, assignments, readings, or lab tutorials are subject to change throughout the semester. I will make every effort to contact you by email at least a week prior to the affected class if I make a change in the syllabus. Realistically, although I’ve tried to prepare for the unexpected, the class may change shape and form over the course of the semester due to a number of unpredictable factors.
Grades and attendance are recorded in the course Canvas instance.
Course grading scale
A Range:
- A 94-100
- A- 90-93
B Range:
- B+ 87-89
- B 84-86
- B- 80-83
C Range:
- C+ 77-79
- C 74-76
- C- 70-73
D Range:
- D+ 67-69
- D 64-66
- D-60-63
F Range:
- F 0-50
Weighting
- Class preparation: 15%
- Group project: 35%
- Reflections: 45%
Rubrics/grading guidelines for each assignment are available on the Assignments page.
Attendance + tardiness
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to your instructors’ requirements. However, if you feel unwell or if you are under quarantine or in isolation because you have been exposed to the virus or tested positive for it, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as they are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion, when illness delays their completion.
Instructors are required to record attendance for each in-person or synchronous remote meeting using an online attendance system designated by the university. This will help facilitate contact tracing if a student or instructor tests positive for COVID-19. Recording of attendance will also provide an opportunity for outreach from student services and academic support units to support students should they become ill.
If you must miss a class for any reason, give me as much notice as possible. You must still participate in the collaborative annotations prior to class, and you must show completion of any of the in-class lab assignments.
Due dates + late policy for assignments
Due dates for the course are as follows:
- Readings & Annotations: weekly as assigned
- Group Project
- Team Charter: 5pm September 19, 2022
- Project Proposal Part I: 5pm September 26, 2022
- Project Proposal Part II: 5pm October 3, 2022
- Project Proposal Part III: 5pm October 19, 2022
- Reflections
- Attend a Workshop/Event: 5pm November 28, 2022
- Digital Project Review: 5pm November 28, 2022
- End-of-semester Survey: 5pm December 5, 2022
If you need an extension on the due date for any assignment (excepting Readings & Annnotations), please either email me or fill out the Extension Request form. I will not accept late work unless you have discussed the need with me or filled out the form prior to the assignment’s due date.
Your success in theis class is important to me. If you are encountering other circumstances which may affect your attendance or performance in the class, – including personal, health-related, family-related, or any other type of difficulty – please let me know as soon as possible so that we can work together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. You don’t need to disclose or discuss anything that you don’t feel comfortable with.
Incompletes
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if they: 1) has/have completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) are unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond his or her control, and 3) file a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time-frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Senior Vice Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester. Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy (Policy #02.10.13).
Withdrawal from the course
If a student wishes to withdraw from a course, it is the student’s responsibility to meet the deadline for the last day to withdraw from the current semester. See Temple University’s Academic Calendar for withdrawing deadlines and consult the University policy on withdrawals (Policy # 02.10.14).
Continuity of instruction in event of emergency 🚧
Students are to register for the TUAlert System to be made aware of University closures due to weather or other emergency situations and follow all additional university-wide emergency instruction. Students can register for this system on the Campus Safety Services website. In the event of an emergency, class materials/instructions will be provided in a web-based format via Canvas or Zoom. Students registered for the class will be alerted to any alternate testing procedures and submission of assignment requirements from the instructor via email.
Student rights + responsibilities 🎒
Temple University’s Statement on Academic Rights + Responsibilities
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02). Learn more about Student Rights + Responsibilities.
Accommodations + Disability Disclosure Statement
Any student who may have a need for accommodation based on the impact of a documented disability has the right to guidance and resources made available free-of-cost by Temple University Disability Resources and Services. For example, DRS can arrange for use of assistive technology, provide alternate format materials, and help determine appropriate and reasonable classroom accommodations. If applicable, please get in touch with DRS to initiate the formal accommodation process. DRS is located in 100 Ritter Annex and can be reached at 215-204-1280 or 215-204-1786 (TTY) or online at https://disabilityresources.temple.edu/contact and drs@temple.edu. Students requesting accommodations should meet with the instructor as soon as possible after the start of classes to discuss their needs and to provide documentation from DRS. Accommodations are not retroactive.
Class conduct expectations
Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others’ privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
It is also important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University’s nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Please don’t create or contribute to a hostile educational environment. Pursuant to the Student Conduct Code and the Temple Policy on Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment, behavior and communications that intimidate, threaten, harass, or unlawfully discriminate will not be tolerated in my classroom or the surrounding online learning environment.
Academic honesty/Plagiarism
According to the University Student Code of Conduct, students must not commit, attempt to commit, aid, encourage, facilitate, or solicit the commission of academic dishonesty and impropriety including plagiarism, academic cheating, and selling lecture notes or other information provided by an instructor without the instructor’s authorization. Violations may result in failing the assignment and/or failing the course, and/or other sanctions as enumerated in the University Code of Conduct. Suspected instances may be referred to the University Disciplinary Committee; I also reserve the right to assign a grade of “F” for the given assignment.
Technology 💻
Technology usage policy
Since technology is a focus in this class, we’ll be using computers each week for the lab portion of that class. If it’s an option for you, you may bring your own computer to class, or I can arrange for the use of university-issued laptops. Please note that consistent access to a computer and an internet connection is necessary for the completion of assignments for this course. More information about responsibilities related to use of Temple University’s technological networks and equipment can be found in the Technology Usage policy (Policy #04.71.11).
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi-access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources webpage. The university will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access. On-campus computer labs are available for student use. Note that there are technology resources available for students, including some software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Temple Tech Support page. You may also wish to consult the Tech Help page for quick troubleshooting solutions.