Theory and Praxis: REED London, Data Literacy, and Research-Based Learning

Teaching students text analysis and data mining methods in the classroom is often a theoretical exercise. They can conceptualize, but might not grasp how these methods can be applied to transformative digital humanities research. Bringing them into the scholarly sphere as research assistants introduces them to those applications in valuable ways. They contribute to scholarly work in ways that cannot be found in the classroom, and they see the way in which we undertake our work as professional scholars. And yet, there are challenges and obstacles that face teachers and students in these new contexts, and we must think carefully as we include students in our work. Using the REED London Online project as a model, the question of how students - especially undergraduates - participate in 'real' research will be pursued. What are the benefits to us, and to them?

Diane Jakacki is Digital Scholarship Coordinator and Affiliated Faculty in Comparative and Digital Humanities at Bucknell University. She is the lead investigator of the REED London Online Project and principal investigator of the NHPRC-Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded Liberal Arts Based Digital Publishing Cooperative project. Jakacki has published and presented widely on early modern studies, theatre history, digital humanities, and digital humanities pedagogy.