Schedule

Weeks 1-2: Getting Started

Week 1 (8/28): Introduction
  • In class, we will become acquainted with one another, and then learn how to create an online timeline using TimelineJS. Consult this tutorial as needed.
Week 2 (9/4): Labor Day
  • There is no class this week, but you have an assignment, due before class, Monday, September 11 @ 6:00 PM : Sign up for a free account at Code Academy, and complete at least the first two lessons in the “Learn HTML and CSS” course (the two lessons are “Structure” and “Common HTML Elements”). When you are finished, e-mail me a link to your achievements page (here is a link to mine for reference). Please budget between 1-2 hours to complete this assignment.

Week 3-5: Digitization Fundamentals

Week 3 (9/11):
  • A reminder: Your Code Academy HTML achievement page link is due before class.
  • Come to class having completed your timeline of your own personal digital history.
  • Read Carole L. Palmer’s “Thematic Research Collections” in Blackwell’s Companion to the Digital Humanities
Week 4 (9/18):
  • Finish your first blog post on your personal digital timeline.
  • Add 2-4 “tags” to the blog post you created presenting your personal digital timeline.
  • Make two comments on other classmates’ timelines on whatever theme you choose.
  • Read Shannon Christine Mattern’s “Evaluating Multimodal Work, Revisted.” In class, we will discuss how to critically evaluate Digital Humanities projects in preparation for the first Digital Show-and-Tells.
  • Spend some time at the Digital Humanities Award website, and explore some awesome projects
  • Check out Miriam Posner’s “How did they make that?” post on her blog.
Week 5 (9/25):
  • The first Digital Show-and-Tell presentation take place tonight. Sign up here.
  • Come to class having completed (to the best of your ability) the metadata for your first photo for the Bethel Digital Library. You are not expected to turn in a perfect entry with this; any questions that arise during the process can be addressed by Kent or Prof. Goldberg this week in class.
  • Watch Tara McPherson’s talk, “Post-Archive: The Humanities, the Archive, and the Database.” Kent has prepared a viewing guide to help understand McPherson’s key points.

Weeks 6-7: Mapping (all class sessions meet in computer lab)

Week 6 (10/2):
  • The metadata for your two Digital Library photos are due. Kent’s rubric can be found here.
  • Due: Make a blog post containing at least 500 words that narrates a Bethel event using materials found in the Digital Library. You will be evaluated primarily on the humanistic content of your post; that is to say, it should not be just a collection of Digital Library materials. In essence, tell a story. This is your first “big assignment” in this class and should demonstrate a significant investment in time and thought. Your blog post must contain the following:
    • At least three images (can either be photos or screenshots of archival materials)
    • At least two quotes from archival materials (e.g., from the Clarion or yearbook)
    • At least three tags
    • Note: Remember to classify your post in the “blog” category on Edublogs.
  • If you need some possible options for the blog post, you might explore these topics:
    • The foundation of Bethel Seminary/Academy in 1910s
    • The move from the Snelling Ave campus to Arden Hills in 1960s
    • The controversy over Martin Luther King, Jr. visit in 1950s-60s
    • The Open Theism Debate
    • Bethel at War
    • Past Bethel Presidents Collection
  • Bring to class: A map with which you are familiar. This can be either digital or traditional. It should be something you have some knowledge about – perhaps something you’ve studied in another class, or something that you use regularly day-to-day. Be ready to talk about its features casually in class.
  • Make an account at ArcGIS Online (please include your last name in your account).
  • Read this. It’s cool.
Week 7 (10/9):
  • Your primary assignment for this week is to choose a map-based Humanities project. This could be exploring a historical event, the narrative of your favorite novel, or any other aspect of the Humanities that can be analyzed in geographic space.
  • Come to class having done the following:
    • Look through the list of ESRI StoryMap templates and decide how you want to tell your story. It might help to choose an existing Story Map from the gallery to use as a model for your own as you work.
    • Choose a high resolution digital map to include in your project. I recommend you look through this list of mapping websites. We will georectify it in class next week.
    • Write a 750-word first draft analysis of your topic. This will comprise the text of your Story Map project. You should include several “headings” in your analysis. Each heading will trigger your map to transition to a new image/map. E-mail me your 750-word draft before class.

Week 8 (10/16): Data and Visualizations

  • Your georectified map is due today. Each map should include at least “feature layer” containing vector data as discussed in class. Save your map as an “ArcMap Document” in ArcMap and upload it to this Google Docs folder.
  • Seek out some training resources available on ArcGIS Online for creating your Story Map. For example, this video provides an overview of Story Map features.
  • You can begin creating your Story Map, which is due next week.
  • In class, we will…
Week 9 (10/23):
  • Your Story Maps are due on Friday, Oct. 27. The only two hard requirements for your Story Map are 1) that it features your georectified map at some point, and 2) that it contains at least 750 words of written analysis. Beyond this, you are expected to make your Story Map aesthetically interesting, free from grammatical errors, and should have a clear argument or “point.” This rubric will be used to evaluate your work.
  • In class, each student will choose a Bethel building they wish to 3D model in Sketchup.

Weeks 10-12: Midterm Project – Bethel Sketchup

Week 10 (10/30):
  • Due in class: choose your Bethel building (past or present) to 3D model in Sketchup, and (if necessary) work with Kent to acquire the necessary digital photographs for creating your model.
  • Download and install Sketchup on your laptop.
  • Watch these four Sketchup training videos, and play around with the software on your own.
  • Bring an external, two-button mouse to class.
  • In class: We will begin to use Sketchup.
Week 11 (11/6):
  • Start researching the history of your Bethel building in the Digital Library.
  • Due in class: Your Bethel building in Sketchup.
Week 12 (11/13):

Week 12-13: Text Analysis

Week 13 (11/20):
  • Before class, download and install David Hoover’s Out-of-the-Box Text Analysis toolkit.
  • In class, we will have a tutorial on how to use Microsoft Excel to help us analyze large amounts of text.
  • We will also explore how to use Voyant tools to analyze text.
  • Before class: Prepare and clean your dataset for analysis. This should be at least 20,000 words, with larger datasets yielding more reliable results.
  • In class, we will review the proper procedures for performing text analysis, and spend the majority of class time on individual projects.
  • Write a blog post sharing your project’s goals and results (due Friday)

Weeks 14-15: Final Projects

Important due dates for final project:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 22: 1-page, double-spaced proposal outlining final project goals and plans due. This should include:

– A summary of the Humanities topic or “problem” your project will address. This should include a working thesis statement.
– An indication of your preferred platform (e.g., a “Story Map,” blog post, stand-alone website, etc.)
– A discussion of what components you are including; these should include some combination of (but you are not limited to): ArcGIS data layers and maps, data visualizations, “distant reading” analyses, and SketchUp models.

  • Monday, Dec. 18: Final projects are due. These should include:

– The components discussed in your proposal featured in your preferred platform.
– At least 1000 words of traditional Humanities analysis.
– A 2-3 page, double-spaced reflection on the process of creating your final project. Here, you should compare your final project to your proposal. What worked? What didn’t? How did you regroup after problems arose? Given more time and/or resources, how could you improve this project?
– A detailed rubric for your final projects can be found here.

Week 14 (11/27):
  • No class. Sign up for one-on-one conferences with professor here.
Week 15 (12/4):
  • Work time in class for final projects
Final Presentations: Monday, December 11, 6:00-8:00 PM