Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
How are digital technologies, new media, computational methods, and electronic resources affecting research in literary studies? What sorts of research questions are possible now that millions of books have been digitised? This unit aims to introduce students to the history, foundational principles and practices, current critical debates, and future directions of digital humanities as it continues to influence the theory and practice of literary studies.
While this is an advanced studies unit in English and Cultural Studies, students also develop a critical understanding of Digital Humanities (DH) as a distinct field of enquiry and in relation to other established Humanities disciplines, and become familiar with fundamental concepts and processes associated with DH research.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the history of computing in literary studies and the Humanities; digitisation of analogue materials and data remediation; text analysis and data visualisation; digital editions and editing; Geographical Information Systems, mapping, and virtual reconstructions; digital publishing and scholarly communication; computational stylistics and authorship attribution; and, 'distant reading', quantitative analysis, and new models for literary history.
A class session on the digitisation of analogue materials is held in the Special Collections of the Reid Library, where students are introduced to the handling of rare books, manuscripts, and archival materials.
A final class session takes the form of a student-run mini conference, in which students present a 10-minute research paper on an accepted topic followed by five minutes for questions and discussion.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 4 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) critically evaluate digital projects and resources; (2) understand and apply basic methods associated with Digital Humanities and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses; (3) appreciate the development of Digital Humanties and its impact on literary studies and traditional humanities more broadly; (4) identify aspects of their own research amenable to computation; and (5) work independently and as a member of a collaborative group.
- Assessment
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Assistant Professor Brett Hirsch
- Contact hours
- 2 hours per week (for 10 weeks)
- Texts
All prescribed readings for this unit are available online, likely to be drawn primarily from the following essay collections:
Gold (ed.), Debates in the Digital Humanities (Minneapolis, 2012)
Hirsch (ed.), Digital Humanities Pedagogy (Cambridge, 2012)
Price & Siemens (eds), Literary Studies in the Digital Age (New York, 2013)
Schreibman, Siemens & Unsworth (eds), A Companion to Digital Humanities (Oxford, 2004)
Siemens & Schreibman (eds), A Companion to Digital Literary Studies (Oxford, 2008)
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Unit readings, including any essential textbooks, are listed in the unit outline for each unit, one week prior the commencement of study. The unit outline will be available via the LMS and the UWA Handbook one week prior the commencement of study. Reading lists and essential textbooks are subject to change each semester. Information on essential textbooks will also be made available on the Essential Textbooks. This website is updated regularly in the lead up to semester so content may change. It is recommended that students purchase essential textbooks for convenience due to the frequency with which they will be required during the unit. A limited number of textbooks will be made available from the Library in print and will also be made available online wherever possible. Essential textbooks can be purchased from the commercial vendors to secure the best deal. The Student Guild can provide assistance on where to purchase books if required. Books can be purchased second hand at the Guild Secondhand bookshop (second floor, Guild Village), which is located on campus.
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.