Digital technologies are redefining the landscapes of cultural expression, experiences, and performances, while also transforming the ways we study historical artefacts, communities, and societies. This course provides an in-depth exploration of how conceptual, critical, and theoretical understandings within humanities fields—including philosophy, history, and cultural and literary studies—are responding to these digital transformations. It also examines the insights these fields provide into the operations of digital technologies, how they should work, and how they might be used to advance knowledge and justice in contemporary society.
Students will engage with key theories and debates in Digital Humanities, such as the relationship of historical and contemporary technologies and power relations to digital practices and platforms; the transformative impact of "Artificial Intelligence" technologies on understandings and experiences of agency, creativity, and community; the ethical issues surrounding digital collections and data usage, including questions of bias, privacy and legitimacy. Additionally, the course explores intersections of digital technologies and data visualisation with social justice and activism. Students will hear presentations from engaging guest speakers and experts in digital humanities research from across the ANU and Canberra's cultural organisations, gaining diverse perspectives on the leading-edge critical and conceptual frameworks and challenges.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- engage with and critically assess key debates and theories in digital humanities, especially relating to intersections of technology, identity, cultural practices and power;
- apply key critical debates and theories in digital humanities to investigate and analyse research questions relating to past and present human artefacts, practices, experiences and cultures;
- analyse the political, cultural and socioeconomic contexts that shape digitisation and data use, and examine how digital technologies are employed to effect social and cultural change;
- engage with, and critically assess, ethical issues in digital humanities, including data ownership, the politics of archives, artificial intelligence, and digital activism; and
- cultivate the ability to work autonomously and collaboratively, engaging in reflective practices and problem solving activities in individual and group contexts.
Indicative Assessment
- Class participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Critical evaluation of a digital project (1000 words for 6 unit version) (20) [LO 1,3,4,5]
- Online forum discussion (1000 words for 6 unit version) (20) [LO 2,4,5]
- Research project (2000 words for 6 unit version) (50) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
For the 6 unit version of this course, 130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact in a one-week intensive
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Prescribed Texts
Not applicable
Preliminary Reading
Drucker, Johanna. The Digital Humanities Coursebook: An Introduction to Digital Methods for Research and Scholarship (Routledge, 2021).
Schreibman, Susan, Ray Siemens, and John Unsworth, eds. A Companion to Digital Humanities, edited by (Blackwell, 2004).
Gold, Matthew K. and Klein, Lauren F., eds. Debates in the Digital Humanities (University of Minnesota Press, 2019).
O’Sullivan, James, ed. The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Digital Humanities (Bloomsbury, 2022).
Winesmith, Keir and Suse Anderson, eds. The Digital Future of Museums: Conversations and Provocations (Taylor & Francis, 2020).
Chun, Wendy Hui Kyong. Discriminating Data: Correlation, Neighbourhoods, and the New Politics of Recognition (MIT Press, 2021).
Assumed Knowledge
Students enrolled in the Master of Digital Humanities (MDIHU) should enrol in the 6 unit version of this course
Students enrolled in the Master of Digital Humanities and Public Culture (MDHPU) should enrol in the 12 unit version of this course.
If you unsure which is the correct option for your situation, please contact the CASS Student Office , or the program convener (Professor Kath Bode)
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 to 12 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
| 7.00 | 0.14583 |
| 8.00 | 0.16667 |
| 9.00 | 0.18750 |
| 10.00 | 0.20833 |
| 11.00 | 0.22917 |
| 12.00 | 0.25000 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $720 per unit |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $1060 per unit |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Humanities Theories and Debates (12 units) | ||||||
| 5459 | 07 Apr 2025 | 07 Apr 2025 | 02 May 2025 | 13 Jun 2025 | In Person | N/A |
| Digital Humanities Theories and Debates (6 units) | ||||||
| 5499 | 02 Apr 2025 | 07 Apr 2025 | 02 May 2025 | 13 Jun 2025 | In Person | N/A |