Over the last ten years, technological research tools for qualitative disciplines have been enthusiastically explored.
However, academics in these same disciplines have often been reluctant to engage with learning technology. Many see e-learning – particularly assessment tools – as more suited to quantitative disciplines, or fields with less ambiguity.
The readings below touch on the ‘digital humanities’, and two specific areas of assessment, but we hope the debate will range more widely. Read as many as you want – the ones at the top of each category offer a start-point to the topics. All should be available for free.
Digital humanities
Cohen, Patricia (2010) ‘Digital Keys for Unlocking the Humanities’ Riches.’ New York Times
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/17digital.html
Kirsch, Adam (2014) ‘Technology Is Taking Over English Departments: The false promise of the digital humanities.’ The New Republic
Available at https://newrepublic.com/article/117428/limits-digital-humanities-adam-kirsch
http://whatisdigitalhumanities.com/ – refresh a few times for some different definitions
Multiple Choice Questions
Renzo, Adrian (2014) ‘Multiple-choice questions in the Humanities: a case study of Peerwise in a first-year Popular Music course.’ In B. Hegarty, J. McDonald, & S.-K. Loke (Eds.), Rhetoric and Reality: Critical perspectives on educational technology. Proceedings ascilite Dunedin 2014 (pp. 560-564).
Available at http://ascilite2014.otago.ac.nz/files/concisepapers/173-Renzo.pdf
Clarke, Sophie; Lindsay, Katharine; McKennab, Chris and New, Steve (2004) ‘INQUIRE: a case study in evaluating the potential of online MCQ tests in a discursive subject.’ ALT-J, Research in Learning Technology Vol. 12, No. 3
Available at http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ821511.pdf
Automated Marking
Human Readers (2013) ‘Professionals Against Machine Scoring Of Student Essays In High-Stakes Assessment’
Available at http://humanreaders.org/petition/research_findings.htm
Simsek, Duygu; Sandor, Agnes; Buckingham Shum, Simon; Ferguson, Rebecca; De Liddo, Anna and Whitelock, Denise (2015) ‘Correlations between automated rhetorical analysis and tutors’ grades on student essays.’ Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Learning Analytics And Knowledge.ACM, pp. 355–359.
Available at http://oro.open.ac.uk/42042/8/LAK15ShortEmbeddedFonts.pdf
Rose, Kalia (2013) ‘Automated marking: bad for essays?’ The Guardian. Friday 24 May.
Available at https://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/may/24/automated-marking-bad-for-essays
