HIST 306 Digital History

Explores the use of digital tools and technologies to research, interpret, and present historical content in accessible digital formats.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

In a digital age, historians must adapt to new tools for research and communication to make history accessible and engaging. This course equips students to use digital technologies to analyze and share historical narratives.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussion: History Between the Lines

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. For this discussion, the thread should be at least 250 words. 1 reply of at least 150 words is required. The student should refer to the relevant course video to help support his/her response. In the reply, the student should respectfully critique his/her classmate’s views and positions. References in the thread and reply should be cited in Turabian. References to other sources are encouraged by not required.

Discussion: Future of Digital History Technologies

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. For this discussion, the thread must be at least 250 words. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words. References in the thread and replies should be cited in Turabian style.

Video Discussions (2)

For each video discussion, the student will submit a 3–5-minute video in response to the prompt. The student must then reply to 1 classmate’s video in at least 150 words. References in the thread and replies should be cited in Turabian Notes-Bibliography format

Digital History Project Review Assignment

The student will select an online digital history project and write a review of at least 500 words using Turabian Notes-Bibliography format for references and style. 

Digital History Using Images Assignment

The student will select a digital history image and discuss it in PowerPoint presentation. The recording should be 3–5 minutes. The student should follow Turabian Notes-Bibliography format for references and style.

Digital History Project Proposal Assignment

The student will select a topic for his/her timeline project and write a paper identifying the topic and source book. The paper should be a minimum of 250 words and follow Turabian Notes-Bibliography format for references and style. 

Timelines – Tools and Process Assignment

Using source material, the student will identify 8 key historical dates, places, or events. For the dataset spreadsheet, the student will need 4 headings: place, type of place, start date, and end date. 8 images will be needed for the 8 dates, places, or events of the timeline. Images should be in the public domain. 

Timeline Assignment

Using the dataset from the Timelines – Tools and Process Assignment, the student will create a Timeline using Timeline JS. The student will make a digital history timeline for his/her topic. The key data of 8 historical dates, places, or events will be included in the 8 slides of the timeline. 

Digital History Written Narratives: Original and AI Assignment

The student will write a paragraph about his or her topic and then prompt AI to write a paragraph. The student will compare and contrast the 2 paragraphs, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses and submit a paper including the original paragraph, the AI-created paragraph, the prompts used, and a written 500-word reflection about the experience. References are not required, but Turabian Notes-Bibliography format should be followed if needed. . 

The Future of Digital History Article Review Assignment

The student will select an article about new Digital History tools from the library and write a 750-word paper reviewing the article. The review should be at least 750 words but not exceed by more than 1000 words. The paper must include bibliographic information for the selected article. Turabian Notes-Bibliography format should be used for this assignment.

Digital History Issues Podcast Assignment

The student will select an issue of importance to him/her from the list of topic suggestions and create a 3–5-minute podcast that addresses the issue and offers practical solutions. References are not required, but the Turabian Notes-Bibliography format should be followed if needed.