50:350:394 Introduction to the Digital Humanities (Spring 2015)

What does the artist, historian, or literary scholar have to say about the computational platforms and formats that shape our digital lives? This course will address that question by treating digital technologies as both expressive media and as objects worthy of humanistic study. The goal of the course is to provide students with a space to use digital tools to create things (such as art, electronic literature, and games) and also to develop critical vocabularies for analyzing digital objects. We will examine a number of digital formats and platforms, from the MP3 to the Atari 2600 videogame system. Students will also examine a number of videogames, works of electronic literature, and a range of other digital objects. No technological expertise is required, and students will be encouraged to experiment and tinker with a variety of platforms. The class will take place in the brand new Digital Studies Center CoLab, a collaborative learning space in the Fine Arts building.