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Introduction to Digital Humanities

Instructor(s): Hannah L. Jacobs

Digital Humanities projects always begin from humanistic content and inquiries. In this Introduction to Digital Humanities, students will take a deep dive into the Duke University Archives, in search of untold stories of students, faculty and Durham community members from the time of the University’s founding in 1924 to the present. They will explore and interpret a range of first-person accounts in the form of letters, photographs, student newspapers, yearbooks, scrapbooks, sound recordings, and moving images to illuminate the history of Duke University over the course of the 20th century. We’ll consider how Duke has grown and changed over the last century, examining everything from architecture to academics to student life and athletics. The course will provide students with hands-on opportunities to apply digital methods like GIS, 3D models, and  data visualizations to their analyses. Students will develop research skills that encompass both digital humanities theories and methods and historical analysis.

Image Credit: “Medical School, Duke University,” June 1929, University Archives Photograph Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Accessed October 26, 2022, via https://flickr.com/photos/dukeyearlook/7116333161/in/album-72157625755741788/.

Course Code(s): CMAC 222D , ISS 222D, VMS 203D

Curriculum Code(s): ALP, CZ, STS

Day(s) & Times(s): WF 10:15-11:30AM

Location: Smith Warehouse, Bay 11 A233 (Digital Art History & Visual Culture Research Lab)