The American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning is pleased to announce that this spring, the New Media Lab will host a workshop series on digital methods for historical inquiry led by Stefano Morello and guests from the Graduate Center Digital Initiatives (GCDI) and the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC). 

 Open to students and faculty from all disciplines, each session is designed to provide hands-on experience with digital tools and methods for researching, interpreting, and teaching history. 

 Sessions are limited to 15 participants and will be held in the New Media Lab (Room 7388.01). You can register here. 

 As a reminder, we’re also hosting a series this semester on jumpstarting your multimedia projects. Learn more on our website. If you have any questions, please email Stefano Morello.

 

Wednesday, March 19, 3:00-4.30 pm
Hacking AI for Historical Research: Ethics, Methods, and Applications (co-hosted with the TLC)
Led by Zach Muhlbauer

Are you curious about using artificial intelligence to investigate and interpret historical materials? In this workshop, we’ll demo accessible tools for working with both unstructured data and archived materials. We’ll discuss practical and theoretical limitations, such as hallucinations and biases in training data, and how these tools can support, but must not replace, traditional research methods. No prior technical experience required.

 

Monday, March 31, 5:00–6:30 pm
Teaching with Omeka: Building Digital Collections in the Classroom (co-hosted with GCDI)
Led by Maggie Schreiner and Stefano Morello 

Would you like to create a digital archive or teach students how to design online exhibits? In this workshop, we’ll explore ways to leverage Omeka, an open-source platform for managing and presenting digital collections, as a tool for teaching best practices in archival research, curating online exhibits, and designing collaborative assignments using primary sources. Educators interested in teaching digital literacy, historical inquiry, and digital storytelling through hands-on projects are especially encouraged to join.

 

Thursday, April 10, 5:00-6:30 pm
Distant Reading Historical Texts with Voyant Tools
Led by Stefano Morello

Are you trying to find ways to discover patterns in all the textual sources you have collected? Curious about text analysis but not sure where to start? This workshop introduces Voyant Tools, a user-friendly platform that helps identify patterns in historical texts like speeches, letters, and literature. Together, we’ll explore how to visualize word frequencies, track themes over time, and make sense of textual data in new ways. No prior experience required.