Syllabus: Introduction to Digital Humanities

Fall 2026: Classes meet M W F 2:30 – 3:20pm in Kochel 77

Read the Course Description

This contains a detailed explanation of course policies and the basis for grades.

This link jumps to the closest day to today's date. Review the schedule as we get started to get a sense of how this course will work on a daily basis.

Quick links to digital resources

Canvas: http://canvas.psu.edu To submit homework assignments and exams and read private course announcements
oXygen XML Editor: for coding of all kinds, used in multiple DIGIT courses for text archiving, analysis, and web projects
introDH-Hub: https://github.com/newtfire/introDH-Hub Class GitHub Repository and Issues Board
Wordpress (via PSU): Penn State resource for creating a website
BabyTimeMapper: Web-based tool redesigned by DIGIT major, Ashton Maloney, in 2026 for plotting and visualizing events in time and space based on spreadsheet data. BabyTimeMapper updates MIT’s original TimeMapper software.
Voyant Tools and Antconc Free concordance and indexing tools supporting distant reading analysis of texts.
Google Sheets: Web-based spreadsheet software designed for interactive sharing.
Kumu.io: Concept mapping and network tool
itch.io: Source of indie games, a selection of which will be made available for critique.
Course Home Website: https://newtfire.org/courses/introDH/ Home of our syllabus and schedule.

Week 1	Class topics	Do before class
M 08-24	Welcome! Introduction to the course, and what we do in Digital Humanities (DH). Preview some professional DH projects: Map of Early Modern London Frankenstein Variorum Accessible VAR for Virtual Blockson project) Livingstone’s 1871 Field Diary Student DH projects: Voynich TEI Anna Julia Cooper survey Locke Anthology project for music encoding Piper Baron's poetry/art Olivia Rodrigo Project Ephemeral vs sustainable technologies: NativeGone Project Look ahead: Introduce Digital Humanities Manifesto for next time, web annotations with Hypothes.is (for Day 2).	Investigating a manifesto about Digital Humanities Introduce Open Annotation and Hypothes.is Hypothes.is. Set up Hypothes.is accounts and join our private class Hypothes.is Group (invitation in Canvas) Launch first Annotation Assignment
W 08-26	Investigating a manifesto about Digital Humanities Introduce Open Annotation and Hypothes.is Hypothes.is. Set up Hypothes.is accounts and join our private class Hypothes.is Group (invitation in Canvas) Launch first Annotation Assignment	Read The Digital Humanities Manifesto 2.0 (originally posted at humanitiesblast.com) and check out who wrote it, when, and how..
F 08-28	Digging into the DH manifesto: contexts/commentary, ephemerality, and marks of time.	Set up Hypothes.is account and complete first annotation assignment. Re-read up close (text and image) and annotate with Hypothes.is (Detailed guidance posted on Canvas): The Digital Humanities Manifesto 2.0 Context/Metadata: ~2009.

Week 2	Class topics	Do before class
M 08-31	Livingstone Online, spectral imaging, and the Field Diaries. Short videos re LO, spectral imaging: PBS trailer for Secrets of the Dead: The Lost Diary of Dr. Livingstone The Play of Light: Multispectral and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (Dariah Teach) Cultural Heritage at Risk: Digital Preservation of/by/for Local Communities (RIT: MISHA project) Robust vs. brittle in digital heritage curation projects Introduce tagging for Hypothes.is annotations	Livingstone Online exploration assignment
W 09-02	Discussion of Warsame and this essay’s importance for Digital Humanities: Lived experience and historic significance. Introduce hand-drawn data visualization project	Read and annotate with tags: Khalid Warsame, This Vast Conspiracy of Memory Published in Spring 2019 Meanjin Quarterly
F 09-04	Art / data: data visceralization: Explore Mimi Onuoha’s art on structural forgetting Introduce hand-drawn data collection / visualization assignment	Annotation assignment on Mimi Onuoho's galleries

Week 3	Class topics	Do before class
M 09-07	Labor Day Holiday: No classes.	...
W 09-09	In-class exercise on Dear Data. Launch the longer-range assignment on personal data collection and visualization	Discussion Exercise (Canvas) Before class, take three screen captures of three hand-crafted/humanized data visualizations from anywhere on the Dear Data site (including video content) that particularly struck you. In your discussion post post the images and comment on what is being shown and why does it seem memorable?
F 09-11	Revisions / guidance / launch of class proposals for Dear Data Visualizations	*Proposal for Dear Data* assignment**

Week 4	Class topics	Do before class
M 09-14	Launching Dear Data: Approval / revision of proposals. Markup and data structures: the Electronic Verse Engineer Learning the code syntax of eXtensible Markup Language: elements and attributes. XML and HTML Introduction to the oXygen XML Editor: Look at markup data under the hood of a digital humanities project	If necessary, revise Dear Data proposal. Install oXygen XML Editor, prepare for markup and code orientation.
W 09-16	Encoding and markup of historic documents. Refining how you work with XML elements and attributes	Start recording/drawing: Dear Data: Your Week of Visualization XML Markup Exercise 1
F 09-18	XML: Markup of data and metadata structures Introduce Time Mapping with BabyTimeMapper	XML Markup Exercise 2: emphasis on meaningful nesting elements and systematic use of attributes

Week 5	Class topics	Do before class
M 09-21	Accessing software from a GitHub Repo: BabyTimeMapper: Forking and cloning Orientation to git, GitHub/Codeberg, and version control	Annotate readings: Intro to Git and Version Control Systems Propose topic for Time Mapping project
W 09-23	Orientation to Command Line, Git, and your local computer file directory system How to find a good directory (folder) to work with git repositories on your local computer: Should be easy for you to navigate to in your shell (with `cd`, `ls`) Should not be actively syncing (to OneDrive, Google, iCloud, etc) Forking and cloning a repo (BabyTimeMapper) Demonstration: Pushing and pulling files.	Complete Dear Data: Your Week of Visualization Join DIGIT Discord for code assistance from Digit student peers Short git + GitHub / Codeberg setup assignments: (details in Canvas) Expose file extensions setting on your computer GitHub / Codeberg account setup; find/join class GitHub / Codeberg organization Fork the BabyTimeMapper repository to your own repository space
F 09-25	Mindful file management and upkeep with git/GitHub: Check / debug local computer setups for BabyTimeMapper Git at command line: getting git in your fingers: Terms and concepts: local vs. remote Where to use the `git` commands `git status` When you have to `git pull` Staging new local stuff with `git add` `git commit -m "You describe what's in here"` `git push` BabyTimeMapper orientation: How to enter valid data in XML (view the attached schema validation rules) Node and npm commands to build the Timemapper visualization on localhost Pushing your files back to your own fork on GitHub/Codeberg	Local computer setup to work with BabyTimeMapper (instructions on Canvas) Establish a location on your local computer to work with your git repositories: This needs to be easy to navigate to from your shell. Watch, learn, apply: DIGIT student Caleb King’s Git Short Videos Git Command Basics and Navigation (Windows) Github Repository Setup and its Upkeep Dr. B’s video for Macs: Git and GitHub: Basic Steps for Changing a Repo Use git commands / Git Bash shell to clone your fork of the BabyTimeMapper to a your local computer Local installations for BabyTimeMapper (Follow the README.md): Install Node.js on your computer Install the BabyTimemapper's Node libraries

Week 6	Class topics	Do before class
M 09-28	Troubleshooting BabyTimeMapper, publishing setup. Getting used to the shell / command line workflow. Introduce the Comparative Web Development Assignment and content for portfolio sites.	Fill a series of events on BabyTimeMapper Use git commands to add, commit, and push to your fork on GitHub/Codeberg. Configure your repository fork to publish a website on GitHub/Codeberg Pages
W 09-30	Tech for publishing a website: content management systems, servers, GitHub Look at a website under the hood: HTML, CSS, image files in a folder XML vs HTML: Similar syntax, different purpose! Semantic vs. layout code. Structure of an HTML file. GitHub Pages with the `docs/` directory and `index.html`: Organizing files for a website in a git repository	Complete and publish TimeMap project Read keycdn’s XML vs HTML: What's the Difference? (2023)
F 10-02	Code an HTML file and view it locally a browser. HTML elements and attributes: how they function in web browser software	Launch a new repo in your GitHub / Codeberg Space Set up publication of a website with a `docs/` directory on GitHub / Codeberg Pages HTML Exercise 1 (orientation to HTML)

Week 7	Class topics	Do before class
M 10-05	How HTML points to files: absolute and relative file references: links images Organizing file directories for website development: Same `>docs/` directory: multiple workplaces! (Your computer, campus labs, anywhere you clone your repo). Always `git pull` before you start a work session in case you pushed from another location! Why you don't really ever want to edit your files directly on the web repo Keeping an orderly traveling workspace. Troubleshooting: Why your site may preview just fine on your computer, but some of it isn't publishing on GitHub / Codeberg: Check capitalization in your filenames! Must be exact for web publishing. Restrictions on file locations: everything MUST be in the `docs/` directory to publish! Be careful of how you encode relative filepaths to images, etc.	HTML Exercise 2: a file directory of at least two HTML files with at least one image and two links, using relative file associations
W 10-07	Big picture perspective: How did we get here with this Worldwide Web anyway, and what is happening to it now? Berners-Lee, markup technologies, and the worldwide web.	Reading / annotation with Hypothes.is: article on Tim Berners-Lee and the invention of the internet (PDF \| Interenet Archive).
F 10-09	HTML / CSS, mindful file management, and publishing a website. CSS for styling: Separation of concerns Storing a separate CSS file, and the `<link>` line to associate it on HTML pages Controlling image size display	Start series of Command Line and Web Lore Quizzes on Canvas HTML / CSS Exercise 3

Week 8	Class topics	Do before class
M 10-12	Website debugging lab Resolving GitHub / Codeberg Pages issues How to embed your Time Map on your website! Orientation to PSU Wordpress and Penn State web hosting services. How to transfer and edit content on the Wordpress site How to cope with Wordpress navigation menus>	Website development
W 10-14	Website Development Lab: Spotlight on CSS Reminder: Where to write your CSS: separation of concerns for styling and content Look at the CSS Zen Garden: same HTML content styled several different ways with different CSS Review / more options: controlling image size display Controlling page layouts: HTML container elements with CSS flex containers Reflective Essay page development (both websites)	Wordpress Milestone assignment
F 10-16	Web production work day: git/GitHub, HTML CSS	Complete quizzes on Shell + Git Commands and HTML

Week 9	Class topics	Do before class
M 10-19	Review / debug / finalize websites. Look ahead and prepare for Text Analysis unit.	Due by the end of the day: Comparative Web Development Assignment due: Check: Prepare the same website content on GitHub Pages and Wordpress The same reflective essay should be posted on each site The reflective essay on GitHub Pages links to the reflective essay on Wordpress (and vice versa).
W 10-21	Discussion: Frankenstein Variorum Introduce Natural Language Processing (NLP) and N-gram analysis: Google Ngram viewer Intro/testing of Antconc, Voyant Tools.	Exercise on reading the Frankenstein Variorum Install Antconc on your computer and/or Q drive space in campus labs. Read: NLP Intro: What are N-grams and how to use them?
F 10-23	Mystery Text Exercise with AntConc and Voyant	Clone our class’s introDH-Hub and/or pull in its contents. Reading / Annotation on NLP and AI: The Art of Understanding Language: The Evolution of Natural Language Processing

Week 10	Class topics	Do before class
M 10-26	NLP and AI Discussion / Exercise NLP in digital humanities for analysis vs. text generation Selecting texts and corpora to compare	Readings/annotations on NLP and AI: Mark Riedl, The Intuition Behind how Large Language Models Work Part 1 Part 2
W 10-28	Setting up your text lab in your GitHub / Codeberg repository for comparative analysis Organizing and re-naming photo files for your review and web writing Looking for popular patterns Looking for words / grams of interest in ngrams Tracking an interesting n-gram from one corpus to the other	Choose your text corpora to investigate for the Corpus Analysis assignment.
F 10-30	Preview / form teams for VARIA project next week Expanding scope, testing, and re-testing: How to inspect your text corpora: KWIC concordance and plot views Comparative analysis: Looking for one corpus’s popular n-gram in the other corpus	Organize directories in your Github / Codeberg repo (your repo that is publishing your website, but at root level, outside the `docs/` directory) for comparative text analysis of your corpora. Work on storing, naming, organizing screen-captures.

Week 11	Class topics	Do before class
M 11-02	[VARIA Lab activity Part 1: with Dr. Liebe and VARIA lab team]* (verify the dates)	...
W 11-04	[VARIA lab activity: 3D scanning: prepare model. How to include your model on your website]	...
F 11-06	[VARIA Lab activity: Review/Debugging/Discussion of Annotated Models.]	Mount annotated 3D model on your website.

Week 12	Class topics	Do before class
M 11-09	Text analysis reflection/development: What do you see and what could it mean? Raising meaningful questions vs. drawing convenient conclusions Looking stuff up: What contexts do you need?	Work on finishing up the Corpus Text Analysis project
W 11-11	Introduce Game Analysis unit and Tolkien reading for next class Corpus Analysis draft workshop: What more is needed? Blocking and layout of legible and captioned screenshots for the website Every set of pictures followed by a paragraph discussing what to notice.	Milestone for Corpus Analysis Project (Post complete draft to website.)
F 11-13	Discussion of Leaf by Niggle Setting up a simple network analysis with Kumu.io	Reading/Annotation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Leaf by Niggle (before class) Corpus Analysis Project due (end of day)

Week 13	Class topics	Do before class
M 11-16	Orientation to network statistics and styling a network in Kumu.io	Kumu.io network of Leaf by Niggle Corpus Analysis Project due (end of day)
W 11-18	Following a game narrative. Analyzing and reviewing a game for user experience.	Kumu.io network of Leaf by Niggle Select, download, and install game to play and analyze for Game Analysis Project
F 11-20	Developing a network for a game. Examples from previous projects. Experiment with the Palermo game	...

Week 14	Class topics	Do before class
Sun 11-22 – Sat 11-28	Thanksgiving Holiday	Have a restful and productive week!

Week 15	Class topics	Do before class
M 11-30	Game reviews, capturing user experience. Finding the limits of the game world.	Starter Kumu network analysis exercise. Game play / analysis
W 12-02	Organizing network visualizations: Network statistics and styles Including/Embedding your network visualization (and other visualizations this semester) on your website	Milestone: Game Review notes
F 12-04	Website Accessibility Workshop	Review the following readings: Apply two things you learn from them to your design of one of your websites (and comment in Canvas on what you are doing or want to do to apply them to your site): webAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind): Intro to Web Accessibility webAim: People with Disabilities on the Web WAVE: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool Toptal Colorblind Web Page Filter

Week 16	Class topics	Do before class
M 12-07	Dracula and the strange past and present of copyright Remixing, Copyright, and Creative Commons license for your website	Game Analysis Development: Kumu network analysis development Readings / Canvas discussion or annotation: Remix Culture and Amateur Creativity: A Copyright Dilemma Measuring Fair Use: The Four Factors Creative Commons: explore the site, look at Use & remix section
W 12-09	Web Portfolios and Game Reviews. Draft workshop.	Game Analysis Development Select and embed a Creative Commons license on your website
F 12-11	Last Day! DIGIT Works event	...

Finals Week	Due
T 12-15	Final assignment: Game Analysis Project due by 11:59pm

DIGIT 100: Introduction to the Digital Humanities

Read the Course Description

Quick links to digital resources

M 08-24

W 08-26

F 08-28

M 08-31

W 09-02

F 09-04

M 09-07

W 09-09

F 09-11

M 09-14

W 09-16

F 09-18

M 09-21

W 09-23

F 09-25

M 09-28

W 09-30

F 10-02

M 10-05

W 10-07

F 10-09

M 10-12

W 10-14

F 10-16

M 10-19

W 10-21

F 10-23

M 10-26

W 10-28

F 10-30

M 11-02

W 11-04

F 11-06

M 11-09

W 11-11

F 11-13

M 11-16

W 11-18

F 11-20

Sun 11-22 – Sat 11-28

M 11-30

W 12-02

F 12-04

M 12-07

W 12-09

F 12-11

T 12-15