Digital Humanities in (and out) of the Classroom

I was privileged to participated in a panel at the 128th Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association in Washington, DC from January 2nd-5th.  Digital Humanities is a loaded term in academia and I've learned not to try to define it.  However, I can speak with some authority about my own actions. My presentation at the conference explored the creation and continued evolution of Project Mosaic, a collaborative digital project supported by the Africa and African-American Studies program at Rollins.


Project Mosaic serves many purposes and by its very nature it is connected to ongoing discussions about digital technology in education.  Project Mosaic asked participating faculty to create module in their courses that explore the African Diaspora.  The explanation is simple, but the process is layered.  As a digital project, Mosaic allows faculty to "opt in" to a dialogue about the black experience in a way that explore subjects local and global.  Every cycle we shift the topic and allow a new group of faculty to create and innovate. The response from the audience at the AHA conference makes me believe that our efforts are having an effect.   This positive feedback comes as we are about to embark on new project cycle.   Project Mosaic: Legacies will provide a diverse group of scholar-teachers the chance to explore their disciplines while engaging their students with issues that intersect with the African Diaspora.