Digital History Project | Digital History Proposal | Lab Assignments
Digital History Project (30%)
Due March 28, 2019
Working in groups of 4-5, students will develop and complete a major digital history project based on the following theme:
The History of York University
These projects may explore any aspect of the history of York University. Students must develop projects that meet the following requirements:
- Focus on any aspect of the history of York University
- Make creative use of any digital technology appropriate to the objectives of the project
- Include a Web component
- Be publicly accessible
- Provide a synthesis of historical scholarship and/or original historical research
- Demonstrate high-quality historical research
- Demonstrate high-quality style and presentation
Projects will be based on proposals developed in the Fall semester.
Assessment of the Digital History Project is broken down into the following elements:
- Final digital history output (15%)
- Group presentation (10%)
- 10 minutes in length with 5 minute question session
- Must include participation by all group members
- Provide outline of digital history project
- Provide live demonstration of key elements of project
- Explain objectives and how technology and content achieve those objectives
- Discuss research and building processes
- Provide description of sources used
- Discuss challenges and limitations
- Demonstrate high quality presentation skills (preparation, clarity, creativity)
- Self assessment (5%)
Possible digital history project ideas include:
- Wikipedia page
- Augmented reality smartphone app
- Public history website
- Digitization and Web presentation of a primary source collection
- Digital audio walking tour
- Audio or video podcast
- Digital oral history
- Interactive map
- Research database
- Teaching resource
- Interactive game
- Digital rephotography
Digital History Project Proposal (20%)
Due November 8, 2018
With their lab partners, students are responsible for completing a thorough proposal for a major digital history project. The proposal must include the following:
- Detailed written proposal website (5000 words)
- Outline of the topic
- Description of project
- Objectives
- Research/Work Plan with timeline and milestones
- Description of necessary resources
- Description of necessary skills
- Description of roles for 4-5 team members
- Prototype or proof-of-concept demonstration
Assessment of the Digital History Project Proposal is broken down into the following elements:
- Proposal website (10%)
- Presentation (5%)
- Self assessment (5%)
Students will present their proposals as a pitch to their classmates in the final weeks of the Fall semester. The proposals should meet the following requirements:
- 8-10 minutes in length
- 5-minute question period
- Convey adequate overview of the proposed project
- Explain objectives of the proposed project
- Show proof-of-concept
- Explain the roles for potential team members
- Demonstrate high quality presentation skills (preparation, clarity, creativity)
Students will evaluate each other using the following criteria:
- Creativity of design and use of digital technology
- Feasibility
- Overall quality
The highest-scored projects will be developed in the Winter semester for the major digital history projects.
Lab Assignments and Blogging
Throughout the course, students will complete a series of lab assignments relating to different digital technologies used in historical scholarship and public history. Lab assignments will be assessed out of a possible five marks using the following rubric:
- Completion (3 marks)
- Quality (2 marks)
Lab assignments will occasionally involve blog writing on the course blog, Reflections on the Digital Past. All blog posts will be kept private (ie. just for the instructor). From time to time, the instructor may ask students to make high-quality posts public on the site.