ATS1208 - Digital Humanities: Concepts, tools and debates - 2018

This unit introduces students to central concepts at the intersection of the digital world and a range of humanistic endeavours. Through case studies based in each of the themes of the major, we examine how technological possibilities have interacted with recent work in scholarship, media and heritage studies allowing exciting new techniques and methods of research and presentation of data. We consider the bases necessary for such work, the data sources and the tools, and also investigate the new communicative possibilities that result. As well as critically engaging with existing applications in the field, students in this unit will produce digital objects presenting their own work. Through exploring the impact of technological change in this field, the unit also will foster a more general understanding of such impacts and of the inter-relation of digital technologies, society and culture.

Upon the successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

1. recognise and evaluate the developing role of digital technologies in society and culture;
2. analyse the impact of digital technologies on the areas of media, heritage and scholarship;
3. examine and assess examples of the application of digital technologies in the analysis and dissemination of humanities data;
4. identify complex research problems and conceptualise interdisciplinary approaches to them;
5. communicate effectively utilising both traditional and innovative means.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Digital humanities