Workshop on Digital Humanities and Social Sciences/Cultural Heritage in Higher Education, Tartu, 2025
This workshop is part of the annual conference Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic countries (DHNB). It will take place in Tartu, Estonia, 4 March 2025.
Programme
4 March 2025
9.00-9.15 Welcome and introductions
9.15-9.40 Vojko Gorjanc: Exploring Digital Frontiers: Mastering Linguistics and Humanities Collaboration
9.40-10.05 Dalia Ortiz Pablo, Maria Skeppstedt, Anna Foka: A Cross-University Collaborative Approach for Python Course Development: Observations from a Digital Humanities Perspective
10.05-10.30 Daniel Ihrmark, Ahmad Kamal: Coding as Disciplinary Literacy for Digital Humanities
10.30-10.55 Iulianna van der Lek, Giulia Pedonese, Francesca Frontini: Building a Sustainable CLARIN Trainers' Network: Challenges and Lessons Learnt from the CLARIN-IT Consortium
11.00-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-11.55 Tuuli Ahlholm, Olli Nordling: From Collections to Connections: Engaging Communities via Digital Heritage in Tampere Museums
11.55-12.20 Ajda Pretnar Žagar, Rajko Muršič: Sensory-digital explorations of urban ambiances
12.20-13.00 Joint discussion on emerging themes and the DHNB WG
13.00–14.00 Lunch
Abstracts
Exploring Digital Frontiers: Mastering Linguistics and Humanities Collaboration
Vojko Gorjanc1,2
Organization(s): 1: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts; 2: Institute of Contemporary History, Ljubljana
Submitted by: Vojko Gorjanc (Institute of Contemporary History, SI), ID: 1238
Created: 17th Nov 2024, 10:09:05pm
Presenting Author: Gorjanc, Vojko vojko.gorjanc@inz.si
Keywords: digital linguistics, digiral humanities, MA program, competences, interdisciplinary skills
Abstract
This presentation examines the collaborative framework of the joint MA program in Digital Linguistics, an interdisciplinary initiative co-developed by the University of Ljubljana, Masaryk University in Brno, and the University of Zagreb (https://digiling.university/). The program's design focuses on fostering competencies that extend beyond digital linguistics, incorporating methodologies from digital humanities to offer a holistic, future-oriented academic experience. The curriculum is structured around three core competency clusters: linguistics, information technologies, and social sciences, which together equip students with the skills necessary for interdisciplinary research and professional practice.
A significant aspect of the presentation is the collaborative model implemented during the study segment at the University of Ljubljana, where students work closely with the Digital Humanities research group and the DARIAH-SI research infrastructure. This segment highlights the deliberate integration of pedagogical and research activities, aiming to cultivate both interdisciplinary skills and tangible, real-world outcomes. As part of the program, students are introduced to ongoing research initiatives and European research infrastructures, including CLARIN.SI and DARIAH-SI, through workshops and collaborative opportunities. These interactions not only immerse students in cutting-edge projects but also connect them with the principles of open science, which are increasingly shaping the academic landscape, particularly in Slovenia, where open data practices in the humanities are still developing. One noteworthy outcome of this collaboration is the DIHUR (Digital Humanities Research) podcast series, a student-driven initiative guided by faculty and researchers (https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalnaHumanistika). These podcasts explore different topics in digital humanities and feature interviews with experts, bridging the gap between scholarly research and public discourse. By participating in projects like these, students gain hands-on experience in content creation, research dissemination, and public engagement, all within a professional academic environment.
This presentation underscores the program's innovative approach to integrating education and research. By fostering active collaboration between students, researchers, and research infrastructures, the MA program not only prepares students for careers in academia and beyond but also demonstrates how interdisciplinary education can drive societal and academic impact.
Sensory-digital explorations of urban ambiances
Ajda Pretnar Žagar1, Rajko Muršič2
Organization(s): 1: Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2: Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Submitted by: Ajda Pretnar Žagar (Faculty of Computer and Information Science, SI), ID: 1004
Created: 10th Dec 2024, 02:40:20pm
Presenting Author: Pretnar Žagar, Ajda ajda.pretnar@fri.uni-lj.si
Keywords: interdisciplinary teaching, computational anthropology, sensory walk, urban ambiances, sensory anthropology
Abstract
The contribution presents an interdisciplinary approach to teaching anthropology, showcasing how computational methods can enhance anthropological inquiry (Pretnar Žagar and Podjed 2024). The project-based learning methodology introduced students to sensory walks (Abram 2023, Järviluoma 2022), inviting them to capture images of their surroundings while engaging their sensory perceptions of urban environments and ambiances. The goal was to explore what guided their sensory interest during the walk (Muršič 2019).
The student-collected images were analyzed using data science techniques (Paff 2022), specifically hierarchical clustering with image embeddings, cosine distance, and Ward linkage. The analysis identified two distinct clusters: one featuring nature and the other urban environments. Surprisingly, both clusters were consistently present across all participants, indicating that students were equally drawn to urban structures and natural elements, regardless of their environment.
This study underscores the potential for integrating qualitative anthropological methods with computational tools to uncover patterns in human perception (see also Beaulieu 2017). The interdisciplinary approach not only deepened students' understanding of anthropology but also demonstrated the value of blending qualitative fieldwork with computational analysis (Bornakke and Due 2018) as well as experimenting with digital devices as the extension of human sensoria (Podjed and Muršič 2021). It provided students with hands-on experience in combining ethnographic sensitivity with machine learning, fostering a holistic view of their surroundings.
At the workshop, we will further illustrate this approach by inviting participants to undertake a blended sensory walk in Tartu, practically testing the relation between sensorial and digital (Muršič 2021). Their images will be analyzed using the described methodology, allowing attendees to experience firsthand how anthropology and data science can intersect to provide rich insights into cultural and environmental perceptions. This model offers a novel framework for teaching and research, highlighting the relevance of computational techniques in addressing anthropological questions.
A Cross-University Collaborative Approach for Python Course Development: Observations from a Digital Humanities Perspective
Dalia Ortiz Pablo, Maria Skeppstedt, Anna Foka
Organization(s): Centre for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, Dept. of ALM, Uppsala University, Sweden
Submitted by: Dalia Ortiz Pablo (Uppsala University, SE), ID: 1246
Created: 7th Jan 2025, 03:21:06pm
Last Update: 7th Jan 2025, 03:53:41pm
Presenting Author: Ortiz Pablo, Dalia dalia.ortiz_pablo@abm.uu.se
Keywords: Course development, Python programming, Inter-university cooperation
Abstract
The Wallenberg AI and Transformative Technologies Education Development Program (WASP-ED) addresses the critical need for scalable, timely education in AI and transformative technologies across Sweden. In particular, WASP-ED's Work Area 3: Course Development focuses on cross-sectoral and inter-university cooperation to develop AI education, with a particular emphasis on Python programming. Through a structured learning pathway, the initiative seeks to equip students and professionals with the necessary skills to harness changing technologies effectively in their fields. This effort aligns with broader European and global initiatives to address the increasing need for upskilling and reskilling in transformative technologies.
In the course development package, the Centre for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Uppsala University (CDHU), together with Lund, Umeå and Luleå Universities, has developed a series of foundational Python courses. The series starts at the beginners' level, continues with a deeper exploration of standard and external library packages, and ends with a focus on code quality and object-oriented programming. In this workshop presentation, we discuss the development of the second-level course - Programming in Python: Standard and External Library Packages. In this regard, our presentation has three main objectives. First, we aim to showcase the practical administrative complexities in work carried out to ensure a smooth transition for students across universities and courses, highlighting the close collaboration in course content development and administrative coordination. Second, we elaborate on the development of hands-on teaching materials, including pre-recorded lectures, recommended readings, laboratory exercises, quizzes, and practical programming assignments. Finally, we demonstrate how CDHU leverages its expertise in digital humanities and social sciences to create relevant course content. In conclusion, we exemplify how this initiative may be used as a blueprint to highlight the power of cross-sectoral collaboration in technological education, bringing together digital humanities and programming to address the growing demand for technical competence across disciplines. By combining the strengths of multiple universities and incorporating real-world applications from digital humanities, we show how the program offers a unique and comprehensive learning experience.
Building a Sustainable CLARIN Trainers' Network: Challenges and Lessons Learnt from the CLARIN-IT Consortium
Iulianna van der Lek1, Giulia Pedonese2, Francesca Frontini1
Organization(s): 1: CLARIN ERIC, Netherlands, The; 2: CNR-ILC, Italy
Submitted by: Iulianna van der Lek (CLARIN ERIC, NL), ID: 1208
Created: 7th Jan 2025, 08:16:17pm
Presenting Author: van der Lek, Iulianna; Pedonese, Giulia i.vanderlek@uu.nl giulia.pedonese@cnr.it
Keywords: research infrastructures, FAIR learning resources, training infrastructure, trainers' network
Abstract
Aims & Objectives
The main aim of this presentation is to share how CLARIN ERIC, a European Research Infrastructure dedicated to making digital language resources and technologies accessible to SSH research communities, educators and cultural institutions, managed to gradually develop a network for educators, trainers and researchers to support each other and share resources in DHSS/DHCH training events, summer schools and workshops. After briefly introducing the CLARIN trainers’ network and discussing the challenges encountered to make this network sustainable, the presentation will focus on the experience of the CLARIN Italian node with developing a training infrastructure platform for their community to support modern teaching practices while managing training materials according to the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. More specifically, the presentation will share how we applied the FAIR-by-Design methodology proposed by the Skills4EOSC project to reuse and adapt existing learning content from the CLARIN Learning Hub for other teaching contexts and target audiences.
The modular aggregation of training materials, supported by the FAIR-by-design methodology, allowed us to adapt single modules to specific academic courses. For example, the CLARIN-IT consortium applied the Skills4EOSC methodology to adjust the UPSKILLS course "Introduction to Language Data: Standards and Repositories" within the Humanities and Cultural Heritage Italian Open Science Cloud project. Originally compliant with FAIR principles, the course provides BA/MA linguistics students and instructors with resources and activities on managing linguistic data using certified repositories. CLARIN-IT translated the course into Italian and published it as Markdown files, enhancing its reusability. Selected learning content covering language resources, repositories, and CLARIN core services, like the Virtual Language Observatory, were then tailored for a selection of classes at the University of Ferrara to emphasize the importance of data management in language studies. This pilot applied a train-the-trainer approach and allowed for the participation of researchers and professors from the Linguistic Department of the University of Ferrara, which has been a CLARIN-IT member since 2023.
Outcomes
By the end of this presentation, the workshop participants will learn through a concrete example of how the research infrastructure supports a network of trainers and researchers through reusable learning resources, and especially how the FAIR-by-Design method can be applied to adapt existing resources for other teaching contexts in DHSS/DHCH education.
From Collections to Connections: Engaging Communities via Digital Heritage in Tampere Museums
Tuuli Ahlholm, Olli Nordling
Organization(s): The Finnish Postal Museum, Finland
Submitted by: Tuuli Ahlholm (Finnish Postal Museum, FI), ID: 1251
Created: 8th Jan 2025, 03:49:28pm
Presenting Author: Ahlholm, Tuuli; Nordling, Olli tuuli.ahlholm@postimuseo.fi olli.nordling@postimuseo.fi
Keywords: Museum collections, digital heritage, community engagement, born-digital, outreach
Abstract
This presentation showcases past and future practical initiatives in the Finnish Postal Museum, Tampere, where both digitised and born-digital collections are employed in co-operative projects with local communities. We aim to demonstrate how even smaller GLAM organisations can successfully employ innovative digital approaches to foster deeper, more inclusive and more creative connections to heritage.
In early 2020’s, the Finnish Postal Museum and Tampere Historical Museums started collaborating towards a joint application for the national status of responsibility for communication, games, post and digital life. In preparation, we launched big and small initiatives to experiment with methodologies and ways of engaging communities with digital heritage. In the 2021-2022 Erasmus+ project DREAM (Digital Reality and Educational Activities in Museums), we developed with European colleagues an experimental methodology for combining pedagogical tools with digital artefacts presented via AR. In the 2022 project Esirippu auki! (“Raise the curtain!”) digitised artefacts were provided to communities as material for artistic expression. As a result, local groups representing intellectually disabled, senior citizens, and music students created three unique performances - all drawing inspiration from the museum’s collections. Smaller projects have included outreach work on Discord servers, where we engage teenagers and young adults to document the diversities of their daily communications.
Each project produced both expected and unexpected results, and respective successes and failures. Reflecting back critically as museum professionals, we share our learning experiences: how can digital heritage be used to build up relations with different audiences and make museums - beyond just their collections - more approachable to everyone? How can we build trust with communities and encourage them to become active partners in valuing and preserving their own cultural heritage?
These questions have become all the more pressing for our institution, when in 2024 we were finally granted the status of responsibility for digital life by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Increasingly large parts of our society - from work to arts, from social life to entertainment - exist or leave traces solely in digital form. Due to the legal and technical challenges and ephemeral nature that characterise born-digital artefacts, collecting and documenting this heritage becomes an impossible task for GLAM institutions without the active co-operation of communities and creators. We share our plans for future projects, where we apply our learned lessons in order to foster meaningful collaboration and build up pride for our common born-digital heritage also.
Coding as Disciplinary Literacy for Digital Humanities
Daniel Ihrmark, Ahmad Kamal
Organization(s): Linnaeus University, Sweden
Submitted by: Daniel Ihrmark (Linnaeus University, SE), ID: 1253
Created: 8th Jan 2025, 07:37:01pm
Presenting Author: Ihrmark, Daniel daniel.o.sundberg@lnu.se
Keywords: programming, teaching, disciplinary literacy, computational thinking
Abstract
Disciplinary literacy refers to the specific literacies required to understand and engage with materials written using the semiotic repertoire unique to a given field (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2017). Traditionally, it bridges language learning and content knowledge, emphasizing modes of communication, such as graphs and charts in the social sciences, that are integral to understanding specific classroom subjects. This proposal extends the concept of disciplinary literacy to include programming as an important literacy for Digital Humanities (DH) education, particularly when integrated with the established framework of computational thinking (Wing, 2006).
Over the past two years, cohorts in the Linnaeus University DH MA program have been introduced to Python scripts in Google Colab as a supplementary component to a first-semester course on digital methods. The course primarily relies on executables with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for assignments in text analysis, network analysis, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Alongside these tools, Python scripts performing similar tasks at a more basic level have been provided within each module. In addition, a similar mode of teaching has been used during the BALADRIA summer schools, with a mixed group of PhD and MA students from different fields and disciplines.
The inclusion of Python scripts is not intended to primarily develop students' practical coding skills, but to foster engagement that builds towards literacy in reading and interpreting code in a similar way to how other introductions to languages are carried out. This foundational literacy aligns with Moje’s 4Es of disciplinary literacy—engaging students in authentic disciplinary practices, eliciting and engineering prior knowledge and experiences, examining the underlying principles and methods, and evaluating their understanding to empower them as actors within the discipline (Moje, 2015). Integration with focus on reading and interpretation can also serve to concretize the decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm steps suggested by computational thinking by showcasing how they result in working code (Wing, 2006).
By framing coding as disciplinary literacy, this presentation will argue for the deliberate integration of programming into DH education as a semiotic mode for engaging with content knowledge. The effects of such integration are discussed with a basis in student evaluations and instructors' teaching experiences.
Call for Proposals
Overview
We are pleased to invite proposals for the 8th annual Workshop on Digital Humanities and Social Sciences/Cultural Heritage (DHSS/DHCH) in Higher Education, to be held at DHNB 2025, 5-7 March in Tartu, Estonia.
This workshop seeks to foster dialogue and collaboration among educators, program managers, and researchers focused on the development and delivery of DHSS/DHCH programs and courses. As digital humanities programs continue to grow in number and scope, our goal is to create a platform for knowledge-sharing and exploration of pedagogical, infrastructural, and collaborative challenges and solutions.
The workshop welcomes contributions that engage with topics such as curriculum development, interdisciplinary learning, project-based education, student employability, and infrastructure building in DHSS/DHCH education. This year, the workshop will also revisit topics discussed in prior years, assessing the progress of initiatives to better inform the future of DHSS/DHCH education.
Workshop Objectives
The workshop will explore several key areas:
- Pedagogical Innovation and Experience Sharing – Participants are encouraged to present on methods, tools, and strategies they have found effective, including interdisciplinary and project-based learning models.
- Collaborative Initiatives – The workshop aims to foster partnerships, including joint teaching programs, student exchanges, and ongoing pedagogy seminars.
- Infrastructure Development – Addressing the infrastructural requirements essential for effective DHSS/DHCH education, including resource sharing and access to digital tools.
- Enhancing Student Employability – Exploring methods to integrate industry-relevant skills and interdisciplinary knowledge into DHSS/DHCH curricula.
- Community of Practice – Building a sustainable network for educators and researchers to support each other and share resources in DHSS/DHCH education.
Target Audience
This workshop is intended for:
- Educators, course instructors, and program managers involved in DHSS/DHCH programs.
- Educational researchers focused on the integration of digital tools within humanities and social sciences.
- Developers and administrators of e-learning platforms and online course materials in DHSS/DHCH.
Participants from well-established programs, as well as those in the development phase, are encouraged to submit proposals.
Submission Topics
Proposals may cover but are not limited to:
- Teaching methodologies in DHSS/DHCH (e.g., project-based or problem-based learning).
- Curriculum design and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Addressing infrastructural and resource challenges.
- Collaborative program models and joint initiatives.
- Strategies for enhancing student employability in DHSS/DHCH fields.
Submission Guidelines
We invite submissions of abstracts (300–400 words) that outline the focus, objectives, and expected outcomes of your presentation.
All submissions should be sent in via the DHNB conference tool: https://www.conftool.org/dhnb2025/. If you have not created a user account for DHNB 2025, you will need to create one. After logging in, select “Workshop on Digital Humanities and Social Sciences/Cultural Heritage (DHSS/DHCH) in Higher Education”.
Important Dates
Proposal Submission Deadline: 8 January 2025
Notification of Acceptance: 27 January 2025
We look forward to your submissions and to fostering an engaging, productive workshop that advances DHSS/DHCH education across diverse institutions and regions.
Organizers
Koraljka Golub, Marianne Ping Huang, Isto Huvila, Jonas Ingvarsson, Ahmad M. Kamal, Olle Sköld, Mikko Tolonen