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Faculty of Arts

Digital Humanities for PGRs - Summer 23

Register

Open now for all Arts Faculty PhD students, using this formLink opens in a new window.

What this course can do for you

Whatever you do, in every discipline, and indeed in every aspect of life today, digital technologies can be used to significantly extend and amplify your capabilities. The possibilities are amazing, and still rapidly expanding. There's so much that is possible. But also so much to learn! For PhD students, already committed to some really challenging work, this can be intimidating. The DH Certificate has been designed to give you a sophisticated and systematic approach to making the most from technologies in research, teaching, outreach and beyond the university. The format gives you a deep and transformative experience, empowering you to choose and adapt the best possible techniques and technologies. It is also designed to fit neatly with your needs and availability, as a combination of activities supported by experts, personalised learning, and a broad range of short sessions to choose from. It is designed specifically to work for PhD students without overloading them.

Completing the course gives you an official Certificate, but also (as we know from last year) a powerful set of capabilities and digital confidence.

Format

The inaugural DH Certificate in 2021-22 proved to be very popular. Following feedback on that, we have developed a format that we think fits the needs of PhD students well. This includes some longer sessions through which you can develop deeper understanding and capabilities (DAHL Longs), and a broader selection of short 30 minute sessions through which you can broaden your experience and understanding (DAHL Shorts). These short sessions are bundled together in a 3 hour slot on most Wednesdays, but you don't need to attend the full 3 hours - pick and choose to suit your needs and interests. In addition, we will use Design Thinking methods together to develop project ideas. Support for projects, and for developing deeper more specialised tech skills will be organised in response to needs as they emerge. For example, if you want to explore Omeka or VR in depth, we can arrange individual or group support.

Possible topics for DAHL Shorts include (please suggest more, we will base the final programme on your feedback):

  • Online collaborative whiteboards with Miro.
  • Digital Art and the sense of place with Open Brush (VR Club).
  • Academic film making.
  • Can I programme?
  • Build an online exhibition with Omeka S.
  • GALE Digital Scholar for DH research.
  • What is user experience design (UX)?
  • Using VR in outreach with adults and children (VR Club).

You can vote on the full list of proposed topics, and suggest your own, using this Vevox surveyLink opens in a new window.

Requirements

To complete the certificate you will need to:

  • Attend the introductory session on the 26th April, and create a personal plan for the course.
  • Participate in at least 6 DAHL Shorts 30-minute sessions from the broad selection, and complete a short reflective exercise about each one. Each DAHL Shorts afternoon includes 2-3 sessions for you to choose from.
  • Participate in a Design Thinking session to plan your project.
  • Participate in the Futures of Digital Humanities Design Thinking session on the 28th June.
  • Undertake an individual or group DH project of your own design.
  • Submit a report/reflection (text or other formats) on your project (deadline late August to be confirmed).

Sessions are primarily designed for on-campus participation, but will be streamed and recorded if possible.

Timeline

All sessions are Wednesday afternoon unless otherwise stated. We can add in additional sessions if requested to meet your needs.

Spring Term

  • 10th February, sign-up opens for Arts PhD students.
  • 15th February (Wednesday) optional early-bird sessions (30 minute DAHL shorts).

Summer Term

  1. 26th April 1pm-3pm DAHL Long Introduction and getting set-up, reflecting on your skills and knowledge, identifying gaps and interests to work on.
  2. 3rd May 1pm-3pm FAB5.01 DAHL Shorts selection, including Finding Inspiring and Usable Data Sources (Library and MRC, Karen Jackson & Andrew Calvert).
  3. 10th May 1pm-3pm DAHL Long FAB5.01 and online: Theory of Digital Humanities with Dr Bryan Brazeau.
  4. 17th May 1pm-3pm FAB2.25 DAHL Shorts selection.
  5. 24th May 1pm-3pm FAB2.25 DAHL Shorts selection.
  6. 31st May 1pm-3pm FAB2.25 DAHL Shorts selection (including intro to Design Thinking).
  7. 7th June 1pm-3pm FAB 2.25 DAHL Shorts selection plus project planning activity (using Design Thinking).
  8. 14th June 1pm-3pm FAB 2.25 DAHL Shorts selection plus project planning activity (using Design Thinking).
  9. 21st June 1pm-3pm FAB2.25 DAHL Shorts selection plus project planning activity (using Design Thinking).
  10. 28th June 1pm-3pm DAHL Long The Futures of Digital Humanities (using Design Thinking).