Digital Propaedeutics in the Humanities

Project type: Learning platform
Institution: Faculty of Humanities
Funding period: 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2023
Short title: PECE

Extract from the funding application: "Digital skills for academic work must be successively acquired and developed starting with the introductory phase of studies in close connection with subject-specific working methods and content."

Orientation of the project

In the humanities subjects, which rely less on large lectures and more on cooperative forms of teaching/learning and start with forms of research-based learning early on in the introductory phase of studies, this situation poses particular challenges at the beginning of studies. It has shown that first-year students lack important skills in dealing with the digital world, even if they have already had online lessons at school. The requirements and working methods differ considerably. The aim of the project was to teach basic principles and skills for working in the digital world (e.g. scientific working methods in the digital world, handling data and data protection, open source, tool knowledge and use, digital source criticism) and to encourage students to produce their own digital work, thus complementing and building on the e-learning formats already established in humanities subjects. The project teaches students how to work confidently and competently in the digital world so that digital working methods can be increasingly practiced over the course of their studies. This is intended not least to stimulate students' self-organization and digital communication skills, as well as to promote motivation to study.

UHH/Knipping-Sorokin

Review and results

In line with the previous orientation, the Digital Propaedeutic Course offers a framework in which digital skills for academic work can be successively acquired and further developed, starting with the introductory phase of studies in close connection with subject-specific working methods and content. Knowledge modules as living documents provide information on academic working techniques such as dealing with literature from research to citing with digital support, handling data and specific data formats, data protection and privacy, tool knowledge and use, digital source criticism and reflecting on digital working methods. The course covers both overarching working methods in the field of humanities and subject-specific working methods in individual subjects. The aim is to encourage students to produce their own digital work as a new form of expression and representation, enabling them to learn how to work confidently, reflectively and subject-related in the digital world throughout their studies in connection with the respective subject content. Teachers should be able to use the digital preparatory course as a knowledge resource that can be quickly and specifically accessed when developing didactic methods.

The digital preparatory course provides knowledge modules on digital working methods as living documents on the website https://digipop.blogs.uni-hamburg.de (from the university network). The content relates to basic academic working techniques, such as literature research and citing with digital support, handling data, data protection and digital source criticism, as well as tools for organizing typical work processes, such as group work and brainstorming.

The entire homepage can be used in courses as required. The modules are specifically tailored and can be accessed by keywording for specific subject areas. Modular knowledge units are made available. These knowledge units can be used by students for individual self-study and as a source of information or can also be integrated into thematic courses by teachers in the humanities. Sustainability results from the availability of these resources for use in classroom teaching, for example in the context of flipped classrooms or hybrid teaching/learning scenarios.

Tips from lecturers for lecturers

Teachers should be able to use the Digital Propaedeutic as a knowledge resource that can be accessed quickly and specifically when developing didactic plans. The knowledge modules can be used for all subjects in which qualitative research methods are used. They are made available on an interdisciplinary basis as part of the Faculty of Humanities' digital strategy and can therefore be used wherever the relevant content is required.