When the pandemic sparked the urgent demand to pivot to online learning environments, it underscored the need to improve students’ digital and information literacy. In particular, the targets of this shift are students in the humanities and social science disciplines, who will benefit from receiving instructions in both traditional research methods and digital humanities. Incorporating technological platforms into courses will augment students‘ education and prove integral to developing digital skills that will help them construct and present new research arguments. The partners of this DH experiment targeted this group of students because they often struggle to translate analytical and critical thinking abilities into tangible career skills marketed to a professional role outside academia. Also, the unfortunate trend to undercut higher education humanities programs in favour of “practical” disciplines detracts from the significance these programs contribute to creativity and innovation. Consequently, the partnership initiated a new course in January 2023 to remedy this sweeping misconception of the humanities by encouraging students to employ their academically acquired critical skills in digital environments using a series of scaffolded learning modules. Each module was designed to help students evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of presenting academic scholarship using digital storytelling tools to advance either spatial or temporal arguments.
The partners selected open-source technologies to teach students the philosophy and community-driven nature that democratizes learning through the use of free and accessible platforms. Two digital storytelling resources, StoryMapJS and TimelineJS, developed by Northwestern University’s Knightlab were chosen for this class because they are lightweight tools designed primarily to present new approaches to journalistic reporting. They exemplify the spirit of collaboration, transparency and responsible designs that aligns with the conference theme of reinvention through collaboration and inclusive digital environments. In using these tools, students were able to continue learning beyond the confines of the classroom or the obstruction of paywalls, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and curiosity.
The partners learned a critical lesson from this approach 0 Was this a 'critical argument in our approach', or a lesson learned? For me, at least, I was thrown a bit by the lack of savvy. In other words, I fell for the myth. Maybe that's an interesting distinction between our two perspectives as faculty/librarians. As librarians, the two of you might have been less likely to make the same assumption that I did as faculty? that deconstructs the “digital native” myth that assumes younger generations are inherently technologically savvy. Through this pedagogical initiative, it became clear that familiarity with multiple digital interfaces does not necessarily equate to an understanding of the underlying technology, or the critical thinking skills required to responsibly navigate the digital landscape responsibly. The aim of the pedagogical initiative was to ensure students are not only consumers but also competent and ethical creators of digital content. Students were challenged to delve beyond surface level interactions with technology to develop a deeper comprehension of the digital tools and platforms. They investigated the benefits of enhancing their arguments by employing the rich multi-media qualities of StoryMapJS and TimelineJS, while contending with the challenges that can accompany open-source technologies. In addition, students acquired digital skills that allowed them to become versatile within the course, and as they graduate into a technologically-driven workplace. They overcame the fear of HTML markup and issues of usability and accessibility to ensure they designed coherent and interesting online presentations despite the limitations imposed by the digital tools and platforms.
Finally, the faculty and librarian partners worked intentionally to develop and design a unique pedagogical experience that better meets students’ academic and professional skill sets. Comprised of one faculty member in the North American Studies and History departments, and two librarians (a Subject Specialist librarian and a Digital Project/Digital Humanities Librarian), the partners each employed their knowledge and expertise, including subject knowledge pertinent to the course content, information literacy concepts, and digital fluency knowledge, to model and embody the collaborative essence of digital humanities. By directly observing the partnership, students were exposed to the intricacies of interdisciplinary work, and the fundamental qualities of digital humanities that are pivotal to education. The emphasis on group work instead of individual assignments was a deliberate pedagogical choice. Within the classroom we fostered a microcosm of the broader digital humanities community. Students engaged in negotiations, integration of diverse viewpoints, and the synthesis of contrasting areas of expertise to construct a coherent project. Instilling these digital humanities values prepares students for complex, multifaceted modern research environments that demand problem solving abilities, social and communication skills, and an engagement with the digital landscape. This approach mirrors the conference theme's call for reinvention and responsibility, reinforcing the ethos of collective efforts leading to innovative solution and responsible knowledge curators.
This presentation illustrates a pedagogical effort to reimagine instruction in the humanities and political sciences. By emphasizing the importance of digital fluency as a critical component of education, it allows students to deeply engage with the changing digital landscape of academia and the technologically driven workplaces.