Digital Methods and Cultural Heritage

The course is offered as a free-standing course.

Completion of basic and advanced courses totaling 60 credits in any humanities or social science discipline, and English 6 or equivalent.

The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to how material related to different forms of cultural heritage can be examined through digital methods. This includes digital tools and various methods for the analysis of cultural heritage and archival material. The content of the course will address how physical artefacts, manuscripts, and environments can be preserved, accessed, and analysed using various digital tools and methods. Additionally, the course addresses ethical approaches and guidelines and copyright issues for the collection and analysis of different types of source material.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

-identify relevant digital methods for studying and presenting cultural heritage and archival material

-demonstrate basic knowledge of various computer-assisted methods for text and image analysis

-demonstrate basic knowledge of theories regarding digitized cultural heritage

Skills and abilities

-apply computer-assisted methods for the analysis and visualization of digitized text and image material on a basic level

-apply various digital methods for making cultural heritage accessible

Evaluation and attitude

-evaluate ethical questions and copyright issues in the collection and analysis of digital material

The teaching is web-based and consists of lectures, seminars, laboratory work, group exercises, and individual assignments.

Language of instruction: English is the standard language of instruction, though Swedish may be used for teaching and examination if the teacher and all students understand Swedish.

The course is examined through an individually written assignment. Active participation in the course's mandatory teaching elements is also required for passing the course. These mandatory teaching elements are specified in the course information that students receive two weeks before the course begins.

Students who receive a failing grade have a maximum of four opportunities for re-examination. Students may receive the opportunity to complete supplementary work in order to compensate for failed assignments in accordance with the teacher's instructions.

Students are obliged to keep a copy of the exam until it is graded and returned. Anyone who submits the home exam after the stipulated time is not entitled to have it assessed, but must wait until the next regular re-examination session, or alternatively have a new exam assignment submitted at another time.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

Students on the course receive either the grade Pass (G) or Fail (U).

The department ensures that course evaluations are conducted regularly and systematically in accordance with the guide documents for course evaluations at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion.

The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.