DIGITAL HUMANITIES 1: INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL HUMANITIES

This course will provide an introduction to the field of Digital Humanities, the research interests that lay behind the field and the main areas of applications. It will provide an overview of the key concepts that underlie the field of Computer Science and are relevant for coding. Also, it will explore the disruptive impact of modern computing technologies on culture and society. Overall, the aim or the course is to stimulate students to think, in a critical and creative way, how Computer Science and Humanities can positively interact.

Students are expected to understand the different approaches to DH, become familiar with fundamental aspects of Computer Science, and critically reflect on the application of Computer Science to areas of human activity

There are no prerequisites requested

The course consists of three parts. The first one introduces the field of digital humanities: the research and cultural questions motivating the field, the different conceptualisations and some of the most success stories. The second part presents key ideas in the field of computer science and addresses questions such as: How does a computer system work? What is an algorithm? Where does the field of computer science come from? Also, this part introduces some key notions of programming (basic data structures, conditionals, loops) and explains the logic behind simple algorithms. The third part addresses some challenges raised by the pervasive integration of computing technologies into culture and society. This part presents the notion of a socio-technical system and discusses some recent facts that have provoked a lively, public debate

Selected readings will be proposed during the course

As well as a final class presentation on a topic of the course, students will have two assignments in order to verify their progress in learning.

The course will be interactive and will complement frontal lessons with group discussions, brainstorming, puzzle-solving activities (using both pen and paper and computer) and seminars by external experts.

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