The DH Practicum provides students with a methodological and epistemological framework for the research processes undertaken by digital humanists. Over the course of the semester, students develop a series of proposals: for the identification of research materials and the digital transformation and management of those materials; for undertaking independent technical learning and then teaching it in a DH workshop; for building a portfolio website; and for developing a shared workflow for collaborative projects. Practicum coursework focuses on enabling students to apply generalized digital and computational approaches within specific departmental and disciplinary contexts.
Alongside our pragmatic work of proposal development and technical learning, we consider the structure and history of epistemological cultures of interpretation, analysis, computation, and empiricism, with texts drawn from hermeneutics, post-structuralism, STS, information theory, and critical infrastructure studies. We also look at examples of scholarship produced using DH approaches. The readings for the course are important but not heavy, at no more than 70 pages per week.
Grading: Although there will be one test on DH terminology at the end of the semester, grades are based mainly on class discussions, proposals, and the required workshop presentation.