Abstract
During the last decade or so, thanks to the advent of Digital Humanities, new opportunities have arisen to analyze documents. Accordingly, this project seeks to develop eLearning pedagogy via constructing an innovative, expandable online platform that supplies interactive teaching and learning activities.
Directly connected to the World History curriculum, and operating exclusively in English, the proposed platform will present learners with a substantial body of scanned primary sources together with text analysis tools. Four basic objectives are thus sought: to cultivate learners' generic English ability; to support students to decipher (in English, with a translation device) documents written in numerous European and Asian languages; to enrich critical thinking and critical reading skills; and to mine large cultural data sets in order to deepen comprehension of Asia's past interaction with the West.
In emboldening knowledge development - facts and skills - World History students, as part of their formal course assessments, will for the first time language process, topic model, and information extract. This trans-media, trans-historical approach to knowledge-enlargement not only permits the examination of historical documents as literary and cultural objects, but allows students prospect too to ask and answer new analytical questions, significantly from various standpoints, about life during Asia's past.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
The project was designed to: cultivate learners’ generic English ability; support students to decipher (in English) documents originally written in numerous European and Asian languages; enrich critical thinking and critical reading skills; and, mine large cultural data sets in order to deepen comprehension of Asia’s past interaction with the West.
Activities, process and outcomes
Actions undertaken included: designing questionnaires; interviewing students; liaising with the Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC) and the University Library; gathering archives; undertaking digital humanities research; testing the online platform on students to garner feedback; and, giving presentations and composing papers so as to disseminate project findings.
Deliverables and evaluation
The core deliverable was a website, yet as the project unfolded a second web platform was built. More so, means were formed not just as project control but to ensure the project aligned to CUHK’s strategic goals.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
The project built two websites, a presentation and short journal papers composed.
Impact on teaching and learning
The project has found use in about one dozen undergraduate courses, and also has been used in the composing of Graduation Theses. It has also, for History teachers, supplied an anchor from which they can build their own digital learning tools given that it is the first of its kind in the undergraduate History curriculum.
