Hacking History is part of History and its Publics, an initiative of the History Department at the University of Toronto that focuses on the creation of digital intellectual communities. Students in the class work with community organizations to create digital objects — websites and exhibitions — around topics of historical interest. This experiment aims to cultivate digital public spaces, which we view as one of the central functions of the university.
This year-long course examines the relationships among academic history, digital media, and community formation using a variety of texts and methods; it culminates in an intensive semester-long digital storytelling project focused on community engagement. The intellectual focus of the first semester is two-fold: first, on the history of the public sphere and second, on the politics of “engaged” scholarship. At the same time, students will be exposed to techniques of multimedia and nonlinear storytelling. The second semester revolves around a group project undertaken in concert with a community organization. Working closely with their community partners, students will build a digital archive or storytelling framework using multimedia and/or social networking technologies. The fundamental aim of the course is to expand the reach of historical scholarship outside of the academy, and to develop modes of historical research compatible with community engagement.
Registration for the class takes place through ROSI.