Computers and their networks have fundamentally altered the ways that history is both produced and consumed. Sources in digital formats simultaneously present opportunities and challenges that force us to rethink what is possible in history. Doing history in a digital age forces us to engage with the issues and opportunities raised by such as topics as digitization and preservation, text mining, interactive maps, new historic methodologies and narrative forms, computational programming, and digital storytelling. In this course, we will investigate the landscape of digital history through an examination of Rochester’s rich cultural, social, and economic history. Students will use digital tools to document, collect, and share some aspect of Rochester’s history.
Students enrolled in Digital History (History 326) at the Rochester Institute of Technology spent the semester learning various digital humanities tools in order to research and share various aspects of Rochester’s history. From GIS mapping to web design, students researched, designed, built, and published their own digital projects. Below you will find a sample of some their work. To learn more about the course and its overall structure, you can examine the syllabus here.