The visual essay as pedagogical tool: Developing the digital capabilities of humanities students

Kent Maps Online is a digital humanities project which uses Github and JSTOR’s Juncture platform to host visual essays about the county of Kent. By using open-source tools it allows users to create multidisciplinary and multimedia essays consisting of visual narratives featuring interactive map and image components derived from open-source platforms such as Allmaps, Wikidata and Wikimedia. This presentation will discuss how the project team has embedded JSTOR’s innovative technologies to reshape the teaching and learning experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate humanities students in three skills-based modules through experiential learning. By using the visual essay in their teaching, the team develops the digital capabilities and graduate skills needed for employment in the GLAM sector. The project team utilise a multiliteracies approach to teaching, through a blend of information, media and digital literacies, underpinned by ethical considerations of sustainability, acknowledging that emerging technologies such as generative AI can have a place in the research process, but are not effective at recreating narratives of the local. Combining research skills with web authoring and noting the ethical implications of intellectual property rights, the team encourages students to think critically about the wider implications of knowledge creation and to move from passive consumers of web information to become actively engaged in knowledge production. The presentation evaluates how effective the project has been at embedding digital skills within the curriculum and discusses whether digital pedagogy can enhance graduate outcomes.