This document summarizes a panel discussion on using digital tools and methods in history education. Clare Rowan discussed using digital storytelling in the classroom, where students create short videos to demonstrate their understanding of course material. Robert Houghton discussed using digital games in the classroom to help students engage with historical topics and arguments in an interactive way. James Baker discussed his experiences introducing digital skills and methods to undergraduate history students at the University of Sussex through dedicated modules on topics like data modeling, visualization, and archiving. The panelists discussed both the benefits of these approaches for student learning and engagement, as well as challenges around resources, skills, and student expectations.
1. IHR Digital History Seminar - Tuesday 4 February 2020
Digital History in the Classroom: Panel Discussion
Clare Rowan (Warwick), Rob Houghton (Winchester),
James Baker (Sussex)
3. Lets begin with a story….
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiqqoeCj
Txo
4. Centre for Digital Storytelling (CDS)
• Personal
• Authentic
• Controlled by the storyteller
• Short (2-3 min) format with recorded
voiceover, still images, enhanced with subtle
special effects.
• http://www.storycenter.org/
5.
6. Reasons
• Second Year Core
Module: The
Hellenistic World
• Horrors of the ‘silent
seminar’
• Additional
‘transferable skills’
(e.g. copyright
knowledge)
9. Impact and Challenges
• Now optional form of
assessment for Term 2
(individual)
• Latin podcast
• Trailers, etc for other
events
• Power of storytelling
for
careers/funding/museu
m work, etc
• Student skills greater
than mine!
• Having to explain
how to ‘do’ group
work
• Group failures
• Constant struggle
for software
• Office as recording
studio
• Being the only one
in the department
to run it
10. Wikipedia
• First year Introduction to Roman History
module (Republic)
• Focus on historiography, prosopography
(Roman Republic)
• Foster independence and critical thought, idea
of independence as a practicing historian
• Women’s Classical Committee
• To think more critically about Wikipedia and
the internet as a source
11. And one final story….
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-
k183BKWKo
12. Digital Gaming in the Classroom
Dr Robert Houghton
Robert.Houghton@winchester.ac.uk
@RobEHoughton
35. Digital Gaming in the Classroom
Dr Robert Houghton
Robert.Houghton@winchester.ac.uk
@RobEHoughton
36. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Exceptions: quotations, embeds from external sources, logos, marked images, slides marked
with an alternative licence.
Programming Historians
at Sussex
James Baker
Senior Lecturer in Digital History and Archives
University of Sussex + Sussex Humanities Lab
39. @j_w_baker
Sussex Digital History*
Autumn – Doing History in the Digital Age
What is History
Reading History
Writing History
Referencing History
Library Search
Searching for History
Interfaces to History
Archiving History
Organising History
Sources of History
*currently on sabbatical until next academic year!
40. @j_w_baker
Sussex Digital History*
Spring – Doing Digital History
Data Modelling
Making historical data I (theory)
Making historical data II (practice)
Digitising historical data I (theory)
Digitising historical data II (practice)
Visualising historical data I (theory)
Visualising historical data II (practice: graphs)
Visualising historical data III (practice: maps)
Storing and preserving historical data
What is Digital History?
*currently on sabbatical until next academic year!
41. @j_w_baker
Headline findings after ~4 years!
Students like practical
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals
Students like learning history
Primary sources are a perfect hook
Students like learning about historical practice
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats
Students have hugely varying skill levels
Handouts are your friend
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’
It does sink in
42. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
44. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
46. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
48. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
50. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
51. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Visualizing Data with Bokeh and Pandas
Using JavaScript to Create Maps of
Correspondence
Using Gazetteers to Extract Sets of Keywords
from Free-Flowing Texts
Geocoding Historical Data using QGIS
52. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
54. @j_w_baker
programminghistorian.org
Students like practical ✓
Peer learning helps manage mass practicals ❌
Students like learning history ✓
Primary sources are a perfect hook ✓
Students like learning about historical practice ❌
Students dislike titles that look like maths/stats ❌
Students have hugely varying skill levels ?
Handouts are your friend ✓
You learn about the assumptions students (and
colleagues) make about ‘digital’ and ‘skills’ ❌
It does sink in ❌
57. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Exceptions: quotations, embeds from external sources, logos, marked images, slides marked
with an alternative licence.
Programming Historians
at Sussex
James Baker
Senior Lecturer in Digital History and Archives
University of Sussex + Sussex Humanities Lab