Local Observations
My history classes (not just DH ones) have tended toward digital public history projects
Building is more fun than grading (and teaches more)
Engaging students with ongoing projects is better than fantasizing about sustainability plans
Global(?) Observations
More instructors are helping students make websites or contribute to digital projects
More instructors want to learn how to gain more control and aggregate work over time
Wild WWWest with little standardization
(re)duplicated effort
Little reusability
Key Question
How to collectively facilitate student-driven digital history projects?
Some advantages
- almost zero startup cost
- easy administrative tools
- ubiquitous
Some drawbacks
- complex interfaces for simple tasks
- too much document abstraction
- reusing components is hard
- siloing
Some advantages
- file based
- preservation
- precision/customization
- experimentation
- modularity
Some drawbacks
- non-trivial start-up costs
- troubleshooting rabbit holes
- ongoing commitment
A beginning...
- GitHub as repository for course work (?!)
- It worked! [here]
Why GitHub?
- free
- minimum overhead
- ubiquitious and stable
- direct file access & editing
- fosters collaboration
- content + form [example]
Broader community engagement...
- Rebrand for National Park Service
- Add a few extra pages for collaborative goals
- Improve documentation based on previous experience
- NPS National Historic Trails →
- The repository looks basically the same
Local community engagement...
Why GitHub Pages for Student Projects?
Digital Pedagogy & Digital Literacy
Digital Writing
- avoid clunky HTML by using Markdown
- use dillingerto learn Markdown syntax
- extol values plain text
- practice with a text editor like atom
Collaborative Values
- accountability
- peer review
- mutual teaching & learning
- transparency
- community engagement
Digital Publishing
- exploration
- product + process
- self-enforced peer review
- open and public histories
Instructor payoffs
- expansible digital projects
- engagement with broad range of DH issues
- critical reflexive practice
- ongoing collaboration for digital public history
Key Question
How to collectively facilitate student-driven digital history projects?
Another beginning? jekylton
Conceits
- Non-zero tech investment is better
- Similar frameworks are better
- Modularity is better
- Transparency is better
- Process over platform
This is not for everyone!
But helps integrate DH into more courses
Future Modular Enhancments
- typographic features
- embedded maps
- social media feeds
- Zotero bibliographies
Ongoing Questions...
...please help.
- how to get past intimidation?
- how to not stop?
- how much reuse is possible?
- how much centralization is useful?
- where & how should docs be organized?
What can we build together?
Thank you
fwgibbs@unm.edu