Digital Humanities and Technology MIN
Program Purpose
Classes offered by the Digital Humanities and Technology (DigHT) minor program are primarily designed to complement and supplement the students' major programs. The courses teach computer skills and methods as applied to discipline of the Digital Humanities, with different courses oriented toward various technologies and research methods. Offered for the first time in fall, 2013, DigHT replaces the decades-old Computers and the Humantiies (CHum) program. As with CHum, DigHT courses are not restricted to humanities majors-students from every BYU college save Nursing have enrolled in CHum courses, a phenomenom we hope continues with the DigHT program.
Curricular Structure
DigHT Courses
DigHT courses organized into two families: Courses ending in "0" (e.g., DigHT 210, 230, etc.) aim to provide students with technical skills in current technology. Courses ending in "5" (e.g., DigHT 215, 315, etc.) cover theoretical and research-oriented topics.
Most DigHT courses exist in 200-level and 300-level pairings known as "tracks." For example, DigHT 250: Web Publishing is the prerequisite for DigHT 350: Web Information Systems. The 200-level courses teach foundational concepts and require no previous technical or theoretical experience beyond what one would expect from a second-year university student. The 300-level courses extend the skills and content taught in the 200-level course and prepare students for their capstone experience.
The 400-level capstone courses allow students to apply their DigHT skills and knowledge into novel work under the advisement of technical and content-area experts. Students seeking to focus on research and development may take DigHT 495R, wherein they are paired with a faculty member or an organization that needs technology skills to address novel issues in their field. In DigHT 496R, students complete technology-based internships with on- and off-campus entities. (BUS 494R, the on-campus internship, is a suitable substitute for DigHT 496R.)
Digital Humanities and Technology Minor
Student may earn a formal Digital Humanities and Technology minor degree by completing DigHT 215, 12 credits of 200- or 300-level DigHT courses, and 3 credits of capstone coursework. Students may substitute approved, technology-imbued coursework from other departments in place of up to 6 credits of DigHT courses.
Learning Outcomes
The DigHT learning outcomes are designed to unify the DigHT courses while still accommodating students who seek technology skills a la carte. The needs of other programs who require or encourage DigHT coursework were also taken into account.
CommunicationOur graduates engage with the consumption and production of digital scholarship, meaning knowledge production about digital content, tools, etc., or the publishing of such work in a digital medium. They work critically and strategically in service of their users and audience, selecting appropriate tools and media to meet their needs (including adaptive and accessible technologies). Further, our graduates follow design thinking methods to communicate and solve problems, spiritually strengthening themselves and others. They demonstrate Christlike awareness of self and others (empathizing), draft solutions (defining, ideating, and prototyping), and seek and appreciate feedback (testing) before fully developing a final product (iterating).
Our graduates will "locate credible information, identify patterns, and narrate their connections to relevant contexts" (Humanities Competencies, pt 2). They learn to translate humanities content and ideas into formats that are suitable for data analysis. Working line upon line, they engage in algorithmic thinking, which is the mindset to simplify complex problems into smaller tasks (Alma 37:6), order those tasks into a series of logical steps, and then complete each task. Graduates will discern which problems are susceptible to this mode of thought and will effectively present data-oriented work to others who may not have the same perspective or experience. Not only can these skills open the door to future employment and research opportunities, they also contribute to students' ability to consume information with a more discerning eye.
BYU "seeks to educate students who are renowned for what they are as well as for what they know" ("Aims"). To this end, students completing the DigHT minor will have developed their character by completing assignments that require iterative learning and practice. Moreover, they will frequently complete these assignments in groups, providing them with the opportunity to celebrate and confront both their own strengths and weaknesses and those of their peers. The humility and resilience our students develop while doing hard things prepares them to see everyone as a child of God and to continue learning throughout their lives.
Evidence of Learning
Each DigHT course includes at least one course-based assessment activity that provides evidence of students' achievement vis-à-vis the course's associated program learning outcomes. Instructors report the results for these assignments to the program coordinator who compiles and analyzes the data. A committee of full-time program faculty then draws conclusions regarding the adequacy of student achievement.
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
During the annual Office of Digital Humanities retreat, the DigHT program coordinator presents the assessment conclusions to the office faculty and staff. The faculty and staff then propose adjustments to curricula, points of instructional emphasis, and explicit faculty development to increase or maintain the previous year's performance levels.