Course: Information Technology for Historians

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Course title Information Technology for Historians
Course code KHI/PV327
Organizational form of instruction Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Koumar Jiří, PhDr. Ph.D.
Course content
Teaching of the course in full-time form includes the following topics on a weekly basis: 1. Possibilities and limits of the use of information technology in relation to the humanities 2. The use of IT in historical science (databases and quantitative methods, digitization of sources) 3.-4. Digitization of sources (types of sources and their electronic accessibility, databases, possibilities of using digitized sources, examples) 5. Possibilities of using IT in school history and popularization of the results of historical science (examples of projects, history software) 6. A computer game with a historical theme as a basis for learning about the past? The phenomenon of "Serious game" - giskuse 7.-8. Genealogical programs as a specific type of "history software" 9. Creation of electronic presentation in the historical field, principles of visual accompaniment of communication of research results (elements, means, examples) 10. Internet presentation and history on the Internet (the topic of history on the Internet, basics and possibilities of creating a web presentation), assumptions of using AI (text generation and its use - discussion) 11. Editing digital audio material (focusing on the possibilities, database-resources and oral history procedures) 12.-13. "History in tables" (software for analyzing quantitative sources in the context of historical demography)

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The course will focus on those topics in the field of information technology that can benefit the professional historian in his professional work or popularization of the results of historical research. It will present a wide range of programs that can be used in the historical field (database and genealogical software, presentation programs, audio editors, video editors, etc.), while the spectrum of software resources will focus on freeware programs.
The graduate of the course will gain a basic orientation in the range of possibilities that the rapidly developing field of information technology provides for history as a science or general education subject. On a more concrete level, the graduate will gain a comprehensive understanding of appropriate sources of historical material from the Internet. Through specific training, the student will then learn how to use typical software tools that can benefit him or her in the profession of historian or in popularization activities of a historical nature. After the course, the student will be able to: - create various types of electronic presentations, based on respect for formal, pedagogical and psychological, as well as professional requirements for their presentation - make appropriate use of selected software tools for editing historical material, source base, specific attention will be oriented to editing audio material of historical character (testimony of a witness) - prepare a genealogical chart using one of the genealogical programs; - to create a simple, useful and clear database based on a selected historical source of a statistical nature.
Prerequisites
At least basic knowledge of the use of a personal computer and its generally available software (especially Office programs).

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Completion of continuously assigned tasks: (1) review and ongoing monitoring of IT and historical discipline linkage activity (2) use of selected software (e.g. genealogical database) (3) creating a presentation as part of a professional speech (4) editing of digital audio material /memorial testimony/ (5) creation of a database - analysis of statistical source material and possibilities of quantitative research
Recommended literature
  • CARR, Nicholas. Nebezpečná mělčina - Jak internet mění náš mozek. Praha. 2017.
  • MIKULEC, Jiří. Počítače a internet v historickém výzkumu raného novověku, In: Základní problémy studia raného novověku. Praha. 2013.
  • SPITZER, Manfred. Digitální demence (Jak připravujeme sami sebe a naše děti o rozum). Brno. 2014.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Cultural History (A14) Category: History courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: Winter
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): Documentation of Historical Memorials (A14) Category: History courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: Winter
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): History (Single Subject) (A14) Category: History courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: Winter