Digital Pedagogy for Environmental Historians: An Interactive Workshop and Roundtable - Part 1

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

We propose a two-part session that will first guide participants in creating their own ESRI Story Map (part 1), and then engage participants in a lively, interactive roundtable that compares the pedagogical strengths and weakness of several different digital platforms: ESRI Story Map, Sutori, TimelineJS, Voyant, and Hypothes.is (part 2).

Part 1: Creating your own digital story with ESRI Story Map
The session will start with brief examples of digital environmental narratives created by our undergraduate students on several platforms: ESRI Story Map, Sutori, and TimelineJS. Each participant will then create an actual ESRI Story Map during the session, with our step-by-step guidance and hands-on advice. Pre-conference workshops at earlier ASEH conference have done an excellent job showcasing a full range of digital humanities possibilities (for example, the Stanford workshop). We think ASEH 2017 offers an excellent opportunity for the next step: guiding participants in creating their own digital history.

Part 2: Roundtable on Digital Pedagogies
After the 15 minute break, the second part of the session will be a lively roundtable comparing the strengths and weaknesses of various digital narrative platforms that we have used in our teaching (ESRI Story Maps, TimelineJS, Sutori.com). We will then explore additional tools that allow students to engage directly with primary sources, including Voyant Tools and Hypothes.is, an annotation tool that allows students to annotate primary sources. We will discuss what is gained and what is lost when faculty replace a traditional research paper with digital narratives. What are the pedagogical arguments for the use of online tools? What have we found most valuable in our own teaching, and what has been a waste of time?

Sub Unit

• ASEH Annual Conference

Moderator

• Char Miller, Pomona College

Presenters

• Nancy Langston, Michigan Technological University

• Megan Raby, University of Texas-Austin

• Adam Sowards, University of Idaho

• Andrew Stuhl, Bucknell University

• Ashley Sanders, Director of Claremont Colleges Digital Research Studio