12. Introduction to Pedagogy in the Digital Humanities

Instructors:
Alison Hedley (Ryerson University)
Emily Christina Murphy (Queen’s University)

Classroom: Zavitz 412

For the bulk of their history, the digital humanities have been research-driven. In recent years, however, DH scholars have turned their attention towards the undergraduate classroom and begun evaluating how DH methods, practices, and principles may be applied in teaching. Platforms such as Hybrid Pedagogy provide space for discussing individual experiences in the classroom, and for critically assessing transformative digital modes of teaching and learning. Projects such as the Map of Early Modern London have developed pedagogical partnerships to support critical skills development in an international research environment tied to the classroom.

In the wake of this pedagogical turn, workshops across the Digital Humanities Training Network seek to teach the DH teacher. We propose to contribute our expertise on DH pedagogy to the DH@Guelph community. DH@Guelph is uniquely positioned to be accessible to universities across the Southern Ontario corridor. Our workshop, “Pedagogy in the Digital Humanities” has the potential to provide accessible support to teachers and aspiring teachers who wish to incorporate digital tools and theory in classrooms across Ontario and beyond.

The through-line of our course is the examination and implementation of diverse pedagogical models in DH. Models such as the digital native, the apprentice-research assistant, and the scholar-citizen drive the course’s tool-based activities and practical discussions of syllabus and assignment creation; learning inside and outside of the classroom; and the power and politics of the DH classroom.
 
Learning Outcomes
Attendees of the course can expect to

1. develop working knowledge of digital tools and resources for classroom use;
2. be able to design DH assignments with meaningful assessment methods;
3. be able to scaffold syllabi with DH components;
4. understand the benefits and limitations of common models of DH pedagogy;
5. have an introductory understanding of current debates in DH pedagogy. 

Intended Audience
We designed this course for participants whose teaching experience, pedagogical theory, and digital humanities competencies range from minimal/nascent to expert. We anticipate that participants may be grad students, contract faculty, tenured professors, librarians, or may hold some position in between. The course content provides the tools for constructing DH-specific courses for undergraduate students, but its emphasis on pedagogical models and learning outcomes supports integration of DH components into courses in literary and historical disciplines.