Category Archives: Teaching

Masterclass and Lecture at Edinburgh

I’m giving a two-and-a-half day masterclass on quantitative methods for humanities researchers at the University of Edinburgh, 19-21 September, 2016. There’s a rough syllabus available now, with more materials to be added as the event draws nearer. If you’re in Scotland and want to attend, there may be (literally) a place or two left; details at the Digital Humanities Network Scotland.

There will also be a public lecture on the evening of Wednesday, September 21, featuring a response and discussion with the ever-excellent Jonathan Hope (Strathclyde).

I’m grateful to Maria Filippakopoulou for organizing the visit and to the Edinburgh Fund of the University of Edinburgh for providing financial support.

New Minor in Computing and Digital Technologies at Notre Dame

I’m pleased to announce a new collaborative undergraduate minor in Computing and Digital Technologies at the University of Notre Dame. Beginning next fall, students will be able to pursue a combination of tailored, rigorous instruction in computer programming and closely related coursework in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. There are six tracks within the minor, from UI design to cognitive psychology to digital humanities and more.

It’s an interesting model, one that’s intended to allow our best and most ambitious students to undertake serious research before graduation and to gain the skills they need for success at the highest levels once they leave campus. I’ll be closely involved, serving on the advisory board for the minor, teaching CDT classes in the digital humanities track, and bringing strong students into my research group. We’re seeing more of these kinds of programs elsewhere, including Columbia’s “Computing in Context” courses and Stanford’s “CS+X” majors. There’s been talk here — though not yet any concrete plans — of eventually expanding CDT to a full major and of offering a BA in computer science through Arts and Letters. In the meantime, there may also be teaching opportunities in the program for qualified grad students.

That last point reminds me: if you have outstanding students looking to do grad work in DH, I hope you’ll consider pointing them toward ND!

In any case, exciting times. Looking forward to getting under way in August.

DH Grad Syllabus

The syllabus for my current digital humanities grad seminar is now available. It’ll evolve a bit over the semester, mostly by gaining specific exercises and answers.

I tried to take my own advice from the last time I taught the class as I put together this version; there’s more (and more formal) programming and machine learning, different treatments of the intro to DH and of visualization, more GIS, and (much) less media studies. But if you think there are things I’ve missed, I’d me curious to know. Or, well, I know there are a lot of things I’ve been forced to leave out. Since time remains stubbornly finite, if you think something should be added, what might be cut to make room for it?