Review of experiences teaching digital history for undergraduates.

1. HISTORY 390: A
POST-MORTEM
SHARON M. LEON -- RRCHNM, GEORGE MASON
@SLEONCHNM
6FLOORS.ORG/BRACKET/

2. THE COURSES
History 390, Section 002: Spring 2013
http://6floors.org/teaching/HIST390/
History 390, Section 002: Fall 2013
http://6floors.org/teaching/HIST390/fall2013/

3. THE DIFFERENCES
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
•
Row seating
•
•
Practicum at home
before class
Active learning
classroom
•
Practicum in class
•
Group Projects
•
Individual Projects
•
Open content focus
for projects
•
Single content focus
for projects
(American
immigration)

4. LEARNING GOALS
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
•
Master the skills that make up the
General Education Information
Technology requirement.
•
Master the skills that make up the
General Education Information
Technology requirement.
•
Learn how to do historical research
and scholarship using a range of
tools and resources that are
available on the web.
•
Do historical research and
scholarship using a range of tools
and resources that are available
on the web.
•
Become familiar with the general
history of information and the
development of information
technology.
•
Become familiar with key issues in
American Immigration History.
•
Develop and publish historical
scholarship on the web, offering
multiple analytical perspectives on
research question of your
choosing.
•
Work collaboratively with other
people towards a common goal.

6. SPRING
2013, STUDENTS (36)

7. FALL 2013,
STUDENTS (45)

10. HISTORY EXPERIENCE
SPRING 2013
FALL 2013
Taken a methods
course?
Taken a methods
course?
2
Written a seminar paper
from original primary
source research?
13
11
Written a seminar paper
from original primary
source research?
27

11. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
@ GEORGE MASON
1.
Students will be able to use technology to
locate, access, evaluate, and use information, and appropriately
cite resources from digital/electronic media.
2.
Students will understand the core IT concepts in a range of current
and emerging technologies and learn to apply appropriate
technologies to a range of tasks.
3.
Students will understand many of the key ethical, legal and social
issues related to information technology and how to interpret and
comply with ethical principles, laws, regulations, and institutional
policies.
4.
Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate, create, and
collaborate effectively using state-of-the-art information
technologies in multiple modalities.
5.
Students will understand the essential issues related to information
security, how to take precautions and use techniques and tools to
defend against computer crimes.

12. PROJECT
REQUIREMENTS
Each digital history project should contain the following items:
1.
Omeka.net site with 6 to 8 primary sources in a range of types. The sources
should be fully described using both Dublin Core and Item Type metadata.
2.
At least one exhibit within that Omeka.net site that answers you research
question. The exhibit should draw on evidence from the primary sources within
the site and other key secondary literature from the field of immigration history. In
total, the exhibit should include 2,000-2,500 words of well-crafted prose that offers
your original argument in answer to your question. All use of secondary material
should be fully documented using the Chicago Manual of Style for footnotes.
3.
The inclusion of at least one interactive map within the exhibit or the site more
broadly. You should offer an interpretation for how the map helps answer your
research question.
4.
The inclusion of at least one data visualization within the exhibit or the site more
broadly. You should offer an interpretation for how the visualization helps answer
your research question.
5.
The inclusion of at least one large-scale textual analysis within the exhibit or the
site more broadly. You should offer an interpretation for how the analysis helps
answer your research question.
6.
A comprehensive bibliography for the secondary sources informing your work.
7.
An “about” page that offers a reflection on the research question and your
rationale for organizing the site the way that you did.

13. SPRING 2013, GRADES

14. FALL 2013, GRADES

15. WHAT DID I LEARN?
• Require fewer outcomes
• Scaffold assignments more
• Set more boundaries
• Offer more examples of successful
work
• Structure the collaboration more
• Seed the groups with majors and
advanced students

16. WHAT’S NEXT?
•
More basic information literacy; Less internet history
•
More close analysis of selected materials, more frequently
during the semester
•
More explicit conversation about the general uses of the
tools, outside of the context of history work
•
Back to group projects with more structured collaboration
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction of Omeka.net at the beginning of the course
Assigned topic areas with selected universe of sources
Less emphasis on framing a research question
Two carefully described primary sources per student
One exhibit section each
Collaborative production of the maps and visualizations
through the course of the semester