Digital Humanities Midterm Reflection

Reflect on your learning process to date, including your problem-solving strategies, engagement with course exercises, and communication with peers and the instructor. How have these elements influenced your understanding of the material, and what adjustments or enhancements would you suggest to further support your learning in these areas?

Reflecting on my learning journey in the Digital Humanities course, I’ve noticed significant growth in my understanding and engagement with the subject matter, largely influenced by the course’s structured approach to problem-solving, interactive exercises, and effective communication channels. Being in the English department as a class, I really found it quite unique as it had a bit of everything in the social sciences realm.

The use of Mattermost as our primary communication tool has been particularly beneficial. It fostered a dynamic online environment where I could interact seamlessly with peers and the instructor. This setup allowed for real-time discussions, clarifications, and collaborative learning, which enhanced my understanding of complex topics. Additionally, the flexibility to learn material at my own pace each week, without being tied to specific class times, was a major advantage. It provided the necessary space to thoroughly engage with the content, reflect on it, and apply it meaningfully to my assignments.

Coming from a science background and major at UNBC, diving into the Digital Humanities was a significant shift for me. The exposure to various digital humanities tools throughout the course was enlightening. I had never interacted with such technologies before, and exploring their potential impacts on information formulation in academic and publication contexts was eye-opening. These tools represent a paradigm shift from traditional methods, offering new ways to present data in the social sciences.

However, I believe there’s room for improvement, particularly in how the course integrates these tools into our final projects. While I appreciated the weekly introduction to different digital humanities tools, including Twine, I often found it challenging to envision how they could be effectively incorporated into our final assessments. A more detailed explanation or examples of how each tool could be applied in a final project context would enhance our understanding and ability to use them more strategically.

Moreover, the annotation exercises using the Hypothes.is tool were highly effective. They not only deepened my engagement with the readings but also facilitated meaningful discussions with my peers. This interactive approach to learning helped solidify my comprehension of the material and fostered a collaborative learning environment.


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