Final Reflection

Initially, I was very hesitant going into this semester. I knew absolutely nothing about digital humanities. I feel like I had only heard the term in passing from time to time. So, I was a complete blank slate. However, as the semester has progressed and looking back to what I knew then and what I know now, I feel like I know so much more.

In reflecting back on the semester, I feel like it’s best to look at each student learning outcome individually.

Student Learning Outcome 1: Students will be able to define and describe the Digital Humanities

 This outcome goes all the way back to the beginning of the semester, but has continued to be addressed throughout the course. Early in the semester we discussed the various analogies used to describe the field: the big tent and the house with many rooms. These two specific analogies have been very effective in helping me to feel like I have an understanding of the definition of digital humanities; however, it also reminds me that the definition of digital humanities is subjective and can vary from individual to individual and from discipline to discipline. Personally, I still find myself leaning to the house with multiple rooms idea rather than the big tent idea.

Student Learning Outcome 2: Students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of key debates in the DH

In regard to this outcome, I think the text that we covered, Debates in the Digital Humanities, was most effective and informative. The chapters and topics addressed in this book presented so many debates and discussions that are occurring within the world of digital humanities. I really benefited from covering this text as a class and each of us presenting the various positions and perspectives related to digital humanities.

Student Learning Outcome 3: Students will be able to illustrate meaningful applications for DH in their ongoing work as teachers and scholars

For me, this is one of the most meaningful of the course outcomes. As a teacher I am always looking for new ways to implement effective and engaging digital tools into my classes. I have found that students are more likely to be engaged, when there is some sort of digital component within the course. As we looked at several digital tools this semester, in the back of my mind I was constantly thinking and trying to figure out if/how I could use these tools in my own classroom. I was really intrigued by the Hypothesis digital annotation tool. I think this would be a really cool way to teach and discuss various literary texts; however, it would definitely depend on the specific group of students and their knowledge/skill level.

Student Learning Outcome 4: Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of tools and techniques for digital humanities scholarship

I think the course activities geared toward this specific outcome have been a huge benefit for me and my teaching. I was talking to my boss the other day and explaining to her how we have looked at so very many digital tools and applications this semester, and how I’m really excited try to implement some of them into my own classes next fall. While there may have been a few things we looked at over the semester that probably wouldn’t implement well for me, I definitely learned a lot by looking at them, working with them, and become more familiar with exactly what they are capable of doing and providing.

Student Learning Outcome 5: Students will be able to communicate their ideas using a variety of digital platforms

The final project that we completed for the course really provided us the opportunity to communicate our ideas and use multiple digital tools in doing so. This particular assignment required the use of several digital tools (Google sites, digital mapping tools, etc.) I feel like this was assignment was a great way for each of us to show off exactly how far we have come this semester and how much we have learned. The final project allowed us to demonstrate our knowledge and skills of the various tools we used, and it also allowed us to demonstrate the knowledge about the field of digital humanities that we have gained throughout the course.

Now, looking back over this semester, I can see that we have covered so much material, and I have learned SO much! Although I was hesitant and a little overwhelmed at the beginning, I’m extremely thankful for what I’ve learned in this course and excited to see how I can use what I’ve learned in the future!