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EDF40060

Academic Year 2026/2027

Digital Methods (EDF40060)

Subject:
English, Drama & Film
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Maria Mulvany
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.


This module offers an opportunity for students to enhance their digital competence and build their capacity to work digitally. It will familiarize students with basic machine reading techniques from the interdisciplinary field of digital humanities/cultural analytics. It will enhance the career prospects of students across a broad range of disciplines by equipping them with transferable digital skills and the capacity to work with content management systems such as WordPress and to experiment with digital tools and methods relevant to their academic discipline and beyond. They will also gain experience planning and delivering a small-scale digital public humanities project. Students will benefit from a range of online lectures by experts in humanities and computer science.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

What will I Learn?
- Enhanced digital competence, including introductions to digital storytelling (blogging, podcasting).
- Ability to understand and produce basic data visualisations, basic machine learning and digital tools for humanities research and dissemination.
- Ability to practically apply knowledge gained during the course to complete digital assignments.
- Ability to recognize and use appropriate copyright citation and licensing for online content.
- Learn digital communication strategies appropriate to a given work environment and the ability to communicate research effectively to wider audiences.
- Strengthen critical and research skills in online research, study and writing.

*Please note that Generative AI technologies may not be used on this module in line with the UCD College of Arts and Humanities guidelines.

Indicative Module Content:

Indicative Module Content:
- Digital publishing in blog format;
- Introduction to working with data;
- Social network analysis for beginners;
- The art of the podcast;
- Digital mapping;
- Digital storytelling online
- Digital project creation and management

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

76
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

24
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This course is taught primarily online through a combination of live and recorded lectures. The first and last classes will take place in person on campus. Practical workshops will demonstrate digital methodologies in real time and will give an opportunity to practice exercises with digital tools. Class discussion will be facilitated by use of online classroom technology incorporating Zoom. Students will undertake a small-scale individual digital project with support from members of the teaching team.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): This assignment option asks students to EITHER create a Wordpress blog and populate it with at least one blog post OR to create a social network visualization of a sample text. Practical assignment. Week 2, Week 6 Graded No
25
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): This assignment asks students to EITHER create a map of a literary text and write a critical piece analysing its locations OR to compose an authoritative review of a digital archive or digital edition Week 10 Graded No
25
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students complete an individual digital project of their choosing - options include podcasts; mapping; social network analysis; blogs. In Wk 12, students will complete 5 minute presentation on project Week 12 Graded No
45
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will complete a short project planning template in preparation for their digital projects Week 7 Other No
5
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be primarily via Brightspace, with in person follow up if required

Name Role
Professor Gerardine Meaney Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Maria Mulvany Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Karen Wade Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Fri 10:00 - 11:50
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