Name: Dr. Edward Whitley
Title: Integrating Data Literacy into ENGL 452: A Digital Humanities Pedagogy Proposal
College/Department: College of Arts & Sciences, English
Student Enrollment: 8-10
Course: ENGL 452 Digital Humanities
Proposal: The graduate-level Introduction to Digital Humanities (ENGL 452) course is undergoing a pedagogical shift to enhance student proficiency with data management. While prior iterations prioritized the utilization of off-the-shelf digital humanities tools like Voyant, recent experience demonstrates that increased literacy in spreadsheets and CSV files is necessary for students to derive maximum utility from these platforms. The modification seeks to integrate hands-on spreadsheet training facilitated by expert staff, grounding the course in the synthesis of "codework"—the functional application of digital tools—and "carework"—the essential labor involved in curating and organizing data. By developing these technical skills, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the foundational preparation required to leverage digital tools, a collaboration that aligns with problem and project-based learning methodologies to improve both student and instructor competencies in data structuring.
Collaborators: Rob Weidman, Jeremy Mack