HIST305 Mondays & Thursdays 11:20 am to 1:00pm (Laurel Hall 006) – note room change!
Spring 2019
Students will get a hands-on introduction to creating digital history sites, using tools to create digital exhibits, chronologies, online maps, and more.
This year we are building a website exploring and interpreting 1919. Students will build timelines, interactive maps, and research for a website that looks at people, events, and themes, and displays and interprets primary source materials.
Advances in computer technology have changed the way society interacts and how we interact with the past. While at its most basic, digital history involves using computer technology to study and present the past, it has far greater potential to change the way we study, the questions we ask, and the ways that we present our results to the public. This course provides an introduction to the field of digital history, and hands-on experience using digital tools to create public history projects accessible on the web. Students will explore primary sources materials, determine the best way to present them online, and create interpretive public-facing history sites using digital tools. Students will use course readings and discussions to learn about topics such as digital access, copyright, intellectual property, metadata, information abundance, and how the Web changes the relationship between historians and their audience.
This course is founded on the premise that we learn best by doing. Students will work collaboratively to create digital history sites that highlight and interpret primary source materials. Students will determine the best digital tools and approaches to present materials online, using web-based platforms for research, analysis, and presentation. A significant part of the course will rely on working to define, develop, complete, and present a research project. This course seeks to enhance the understanding of public history, the interpretation of primary sources, and the use of digital technology. It will build research skills, the critical reading of primary sources, and interpretive writing.
- This course includes practical labs and homework will require the use of computers with access to the internet.
Course Goals
- Write clearly and properly attribute your sources in accordance with the conventions of the historical discipline.
- Locate and analyze primary sources and scholarly historical secondary sources, including relevant historiography.
Measurable Learning Objectives
This course will fulfill the following Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the History Major.
| Outcomes | Discovering 1919 Blogs | Labs | Mapping Historio-graphy | Discovering 1919 Site Building | Reaction Papers | Crowdsourcing and Mahwah Newspaper Project |
| HIST Major 1: Produce an organized, researched, well-written work with a well-developed historical argument. |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
||
| HIST Major 2: Consistent and proper use of the University of Chicago/Turabian documentation style adopted by historians. |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|||
| HIST Major 3: Locate, contextualize, and critically analyze required historical sources in a well-written work. |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
|
| HIST Major 4: Demonstrate an awareness of historiography relevant to course content. |
√ |
|
√ |
Grading Policy
- Assignments are due on the date specified on the syllabus by the start of class. Assignments turned in late will suffer a 5 pt. penalty for every day that they are late, unless you contact me before the assignment is due and receive permission to hand in the work after the due date. This will only be granted in documented cases of medical or other emergency.
- In most cases, group assignments—will be graded as a unit, with all group members receiving the same grade. If a group believes that some members are not completing the tasks they were assigned and wish to be graded individually, they can meet with me to discuss it and attempt to resolve the problems. If the problems are not resolved, group members can ask me to grade them individually. I will use the Basecamp site to evaluate individual contributions to the project for each member.
- Grades will range from A to D, on the following scale: A: 93-100; A-: 90-92; B+: 87-89; B: 83-86; B-: 80-82; C+: 77-79; C: 73-76; C-: 70-72; D+:67-69; D: 65-66; F: below 65.
- Rubrics will be provided with the instructions for assignments.
- With permission, students may complete additional assignments for extra credit.
Attendance Policy
This class meets twice a week and we work collaboratively on many assignments during class time, so class attendance is extremely important, not just for your grade, but for the group-based work that we will be doing. Roll will be taken at each class. Depending on the circumstances, your final grade for the course may be reduced by one full letter grade for each class you miss after five absences. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class or leave early two times, that will count as one absence. You cannot pass the class if you have more than six absences. If you have a documented medical or other emergency, contact me as soon as possible to determine the best course of action. College policy states that you must notify me within the first three weeks of the semester if you anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.
College Policies
Electronic Forms of Communication: In accordance with College policy, I will use Ramapo College email addresses (@ramapo.edu) for all email communication pertaining to course-related matters. Course materials will be mounted on Moodle.
Policy on Academic Integrity: You are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found online in the College Catalog (http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2014-2015/academic-policies/). All members of the Ramapo College community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. If you are suspected of violating this policy, we will meet to discuss the problem. If you are found to be responsible for a breach of academic integrity, the incident will be reported to the Office of the Provost.
Students with Disabilities: Ramapo College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all students and to offer optional academic support for those with documented physical, sensory, learning, or psychological disabilities. Students can request academic accommodations by registering with the Office of Specialized Services (OSS). Information and documentation provided to OSS are held in confidence as educational records. Students can utilize these services at any time after registering with OSS. Students who need course adaptation or accommodations due to disability reasons should make an appointment to see an OSS representative during the first week of the semester. Please note: Students must be registered with OSS to receive accommodations. For additional information, The Office of Specialized Services (OSS) is located in the C Wing in room C205. The OSS phone number is 201-684-7514 (x7514) or you can email them at oss@ramapo.edu.
A Note on SexualMisconduct: Ramapo College is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our college policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are prohibited. The College encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our college can respond appropriately.
If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, please contact the Counseling Center at 201-684-7522 or 201-684-6666 during nights and weekends. If you wish to report sexual misconduct or have questions about policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct, please contact Kat McGee, the College’s Director of Title IX at 201-684-7220.
The College is legally obligated to investigate reports of sexual misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible.
As a faculty member, I am also required by our College to report incidents of sexual misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality, but I will respect your privacy and only share the information with those who have a duty to respond. Should I become aware of an incident involving sexual misconduct, I must provide our Title IX Coordinator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in the incident.
Use of Names: This class is a safe and inclusive environment for all students. This includes using the name and pronouns a student uses, using gender inclusive language, and trying not to make assumptions about one’s gender identity, religion, national origin, or other identities.
Important Dates: Deadline to add or drop with 100% refund: January 28, 2019, Deadline to add or drop with 50% refund: January 5, 2019, Deadline to withdraw with a “W”: April 8, 2019, Deadline to request an Incomplete: May 14, 2019.