Digital Culture and Information
About the Program
The DCI Program at W&L is designed to teach students concepts and methods that will enhance their academic success within any major. Students participating in the program will gain significant experience with technological platforms, complex information resources and visual design. The course of study nurtures critical reflection on the underlying structure of information and not merely technical proficiency. A minor in Digital Culture and Information provides the foundation for a career in any field and for life as an informed citizen in a digital society.
Why Study DCI at W&L?
DCI fills a significant gap in the W&L curriculum. The minor opens pathways to careers in the technology sector that students do not normally encounter as undergraduates in a liberal arts college. In addition to teaching programming to non-programmers, DCI emphasizes the importance of design as an integral skill and way of thinking. Each student in the minor develops an online professional identity, including a portfolio of work and an extensive digital project that demonstrates creativity, technical skills and intellectual engagement.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Compatible with majors from both the College and the Williams School
- Learn the basics of web development and programming and apply them to work in your major
- Communication and information skills prepare you for a wide range of careers
- When relevant, capstone or thesis work can be combined with work in your major
Opportunities for Students
DCI minors are encouraged to develop their own digital research projects, and to work as research assistants on faculty projects. Recent faculty Digital Humanities projects that students have contributed to include:
Florence As It Was, a digital reconstruction of the city that allows you to review, inspect, tour and visit the streets, palaces, churches, shops and offices that formed the fabric of one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.
The Ancient Graffiti Project, a digital resource and search engine for locating and studying graffiti of the early Roman empire from the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The Huon d’Auvergne Digital Edition, an international, inter-institutional, interdisciplinary project that presents the Franco-Italian Huon d’Auvergne romance-epic to a general audience for the first time.
Sample Courses
Data in the Humanities
This course introduces students to the creation and visualization of data in humanities research. The course is predicated on the fact that the digital turn of the last several decades has drastically changed the nature of knowledge production and distribution. Readings and discussions of theory complement hands-on application of digital methods and computational thinking.
Communication Through the Web
This course takes a liberal arts approach to Web design and development by clearly defining the message that is being sent; determining the audience to whom the message should reach; shaping the message for the medium; designing a website with suitable coherent structure, text and multimedia content; planning to allow access to the site for those other than fully capable visitors; use of HTML and CSS; and soliciting feedback for making changes and improvements.
Black Mirrors & Digital Culture
In this seminar, we critically examine social media platforms, information repositories, apps and other tools to create personal understandings of how a tool or company's motive influences our personal use of information and how we interact with our community. Themes include online identity, privacy, democracy and the academic web.
Innovations in Publishing
An intensive introduction to the publishing industry with a focus on digital innovations. Students assemble an e-book from scratch and produce a print-on-demand book. Each class begins with news from the publishing industry and ends by examining job ads to understand the types of skills and experiences necessary for pursuing careers in this very broad field. This course focuses primarily on book publishing, particularly fiction.
Programming for Non-Programmers
Computer science and IT graduates are no longer the only people expected to have some knowledge of how to program. This course starts with a brief introduction to/review of HTML and CSS and then focuses on using JavaScript to write basic code and implement preexisting libraries to analyze and visualize data. Students become familiar with building a complete Web page that showcases all three languages.
Creating Digital Scholarship Seminar
This seminar provides students with the skills, theoretical background and methodological support to transform a work of traditional scholarship within an academic discipline into a public-facing work of digital scholarship. Students decide on a digital project in consultation with classmates and the instructor. Students survey and analyze examples of digital scholarship to determine what form each student's project should take.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
