Teaching Support for Faculty: Digital Projects
Digital Scholarship and Pedagogy
Why Digital Projects?
Whether teaching online, in person, or in a hybrid model, you may be interested in incorporating digital scholarship projects into your teaching. The library is here to help you and your students use emerging technology critically and successfully. Instruction on using these tools can be delivered via synchronous Zoom sessions, asynchronous video, or Canvas modules.
Below are some examples of tools and projects that you could consider for your teaching.
Digital Exhibits
Omeka
Omeka is a robust web publishing platform for the display of scholarly exhibits and collections. Omeka is structured with ready-to-go templates, themes, and plug-ins that allow users to create polished, media-rich online projects without coding or extensive configurations. Omeka is ideal for:
- Creating curated online exhibits of images and media with accompanying scholarly framing and arguments.
- Publishing open, media-rich scholarly content using well-designed templates
- UWS Example: Applied Digital Humanities (LIS 598)
SPLOTs
SPLOTs are website templates that allow students to upload text, images, and other media to a "pin-board" type website, where their submissions can be displayed randomly and organized into collections. Unlike Omeka, SPLOTs do no require students to have any understanding of the platform or admin login credentials. SPLOTs are ideal for:
- Displaying student work as a diverse collection on a web platform. There are options to turn on comments, adding a potential for interaction.
- Digital projects that require little technical scaffolding (no "learning the tool" necessary).
- UWT Examples: Tacoma Belonging Project (TURB 316) and Ecotoxicology (TBIOL 455)
Digital Publishing
Manifold
Manifold is a digital book publishing platform that allows you to upload multiple texts and embed interactive media elements into texts. See the Manifold at the University of Washington site for examples of UW uses of Manifold. Manifold is ideal for:
- Student reading groups, annotations, and collaborative critical editions of Public Domain texts.
- Uploading text-based scholarship (essays, poetry, etc.) and encouraging commenting through annotations or social media engagement.
- UWS Example: The Mill on the Floss: An Anthropocene Edition (ENG 440/529)
Pressbooks
Pressbooks is a simple book production software. You can use Pressbooks to openly publish textbooks, scholarly monographys, syllabi and assignments, fiction and non-fiction books, white papers, and more in multiple formats. See examples of UW Pressbooks projects on the UW Libraries Pressbooks Publishing Platform. Pressbooks is ideal for:
- Students contributing chapters or sections to a whole text/project on an overall theme.
- Integrating media (images, video, audio) with text.
- UWT Example: Telling Our Stories (TCOM 347)
Oral Histories and Podcasts
Oral Histories
Oral history is a method of collecting primary source information from individuals through interviews. Oral histories are generally unedited audio or video files, and the researcher and interviewer has completed background research and prepared for the interview. Oral histories are ideal for:
- Exploring history from an "everyday person" point of view.
- Student research of primary sources, and creation of new primary source material.
- UWT Example: Tacoma Community History Project (TIAS 515)
Podcasts
Unlike oral histories, podcasts are highly edited audio pieces. Podcasts can be recorded through phone or computer microphones and edited with free open source software. Podcasts are ideal for:
- A paper alternative that allows students to explore an idea or make a scholarly argument in their own voice.
- Storytelling that incorporates spoken word (talking, poetry, singing, etc.), music, and/or sound clips.
- UW Example: Storytelling Fellows
Data and Digital Scholarship Librarian
Instructional Design Librarian
Digital Safety
Digital safety is an important part of working with students on openly available digital projects. Our librarians can work with you on important aspects of digital assignments such as project agreement forms, assignment alternatives, and privacy concerns. The UW Bothell Open Student Work guide is an excellent resource for more information on this.