Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Technology, Humanities and Culture
Code: 45508Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Humanities and Heritage | OB | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Juan Antonio Barceló Álvarez
- Email :
- juanantonio.barcelo@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Alvaro Cuellar Gonzalez
- Jordi Vallverdu Segura
- Silvia Segura García
- Montserrat Claveria Nadal
- Ramón Valdes Gazquez
Teaching staff (external to UAB)
- Josep M. Puche
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge of computer science or programming is required, except for familiarity with computer equipment at an advanced user level. The required level of mathematics is that of compulsory secondary education.
Some familiarity with humanities and/or cultural topics is recommended.
English proficiency sufficient to read texts is required
Objectives
This course presents the historical and theoretical framework for work in Digital Humanities and Heritage, placing emphasis on aspects such as the preservation of historical memory and the relevance of culture in addressing social challenges. In terms of content, students are introduced to the formalization of narrative discourse in the Humanities, and the distinction between basic concepts such as Data, Information, and Knowledge is analyzed.
The course serves as an introduction and foundation for the digital tools commonly used in the digitization and editing of texts, in the digitization of sound and music, as well as in the digitization of historical and artistic heritage. It also initiates discussion on the historical and theoretical aspects of the discipline.
Students are introduced to the fundamental aspects of digital information processing and the quantitative and qualitative analysis of cultural data.
A rigorous deontological discussion is initiated on Sustainable Digital Technologies, with the aim of reflecting on the ethical dimension of Digital Humanities. The current challenges posed by the use of Artificial Intelligence in cultural and humanistic fields are also discussed.
Learning outcomes
- CA04 (Solve specific challenges in the socio-cultural field through information and communication technologies.) Solve specific challenges in the socio-cultural field through information and communication technologies.
- CA05 (Apply a critical approach in the design of digital projects in cultural matters that allows a gender perspective both in research and in the dissemination of knowledge.) Apply a critical approach in the design of digital projects in cultural matters that allows a gender perspective both in research and in the dissemination of knowledge.
- KA03 (Provide tools for ethical and deontological reflection on cultural heritage and the elements of historical memory.) Provide tools for ethical and deontological reflection on cultural heritage and the elements of historical memory.
- KA04 (Select the appropriate technology to solve a specific problem based on technical knowledge acquired.) Select the appropriate technology to solve a specific problem based on technical knowledge acquired.
- KA05 (Identify the potential of artificial intelligence in the research and dissemination of humanistic and cultural issues.) Identify the potential of artificial intelligence in the research and dissemination of humanistic and cultural issues.
- KA06 (Identify the historical and theoretical aspects of work in digital humanities and heritage.) Identify the historical and theoretical aspects of work in digital humanities and heritage.
- SA06 (Use advanced level computer tools, in the digitisation of texts, sounds or objects from the knowledge of their cultural value.) Use advanced level computer tools, in the digitisation of texts, sounds or objects from the knowledge of their cultural value.
- SA07 (Use advanced computer tools for the management and processing of cultural data.) Use advanced computer tools for the management and processing of cultural data.
- SA08 (Discuss fundamental aspects of deontological criticism and philosophical reflection in the digital humanities.) Discuss fundamental aspects of deontological criticism and philosophical reflection in the digital humanities.
- SA37 (Analyse gender problems, the presence of social inequality and the perpetuation of stereotypes in the design of digital projects in humanistic and cultural matters.) Analyse gender problems, the presence of social inequality and the perpetuation of stereotypes in the design of digital projects in humanistic and cultural matters.
Contents
- Introduction to the Idea of Digital Humanities
- Digital Textualities
- Digital Sound and Music
- Digital Art
- Digital Archaeology
- Digital Architecture
- Digital Philosophy
- Artificial Intelligence and the Humanities
- Ethics and Sustainability
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom practical work | 34 | 1.36 | CA05, KA04, KA05, SA06, SA07, SA37 |
| Personal Study. Bibliographical consultation | 60 | 2.4 | CA04, CA05, KA03, KA04, KA06, SA06, SA07, SA08, SA37 |
| Attendance at lectures led by the professor | 36 | 1.44 | CA05, KA03, KA05, KA06, SA08, SA37 |
Attendance at theoretical classes led by the professor.
Attendance at seminar sessions and practical work with computers and specific software led by the professor.
Classes are held in a specialized computer lab.
Comprehensive reading of texts.
The student must dedicate independent effort to consulting specialized bibliography. Part of the documentation is in English.
Class debates, moderated by the teaching staff, on the most significant topics.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation of a critical essay using Generative Artificial intelligence | 40% | 10 | 0.4 | CA04, CA05, KA03, KA04, KA05, KA06, SA06, SA07, SA08, SA37 |
| Presentation of a written essay debating some relevant subject | 30% | 5 | 0.2 | CA04, CA05, KA03, KA04, KA05, KA06, SA06, SA07, SA08, SA37 |
| Presentation of written essais commenting some text | 30% | 5 | 0.2 | CA04, CA05, KA03, KA04, KA05, KA06, SA06, SA07, SA08, SA37 |
The evaluation methodology for this master’s course is based on the active and reflective participation of students. Their analytical skills will be assessed through written comments on articles and bibliographic references proposed by the teaching staff. In addition, students will prepare critical summaries of class debates, where they must express and argue their own position in relation to opposing opinions, demonstrating their ability for dialogue and critical thinking. Another key component of the assessment will be a critical assignment involving the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools, applied to one of the topics discussed during the course. This assignment must include a reflection on the limitations and potential of these technologies within the field of Digital Humanities. The specific details regarding format, criteria, and deadlines will be explained and discussed in class by the professor.
Single assessment is allowed, upon request, following the procedure approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
At the time each assessment activity is carried out, the instructor will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and the date for reviewing grades.
Recovery procedure: only the final assignment (second case study) is eligible for reassessment. This decision will be made on a case-by-case basis following a personal interview between the student and the professor.
The submission date for reassessment will also be determined on a case-by-casebasis and by mutual agreement between the professor and the student.
The student will receive a grade of \"Not assessable\" if they fail to submit any of the obligatory essays.
If a student commits any irregularity that may significantly alter the grade of an assessment activity, that activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade will be 0.
This course recommends the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies as an integral part of the development of assignments, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. The student must: (i) identify which parts were generated using AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity.
A lack of transparency in the use of AI in this graded activity will be considered academic dishonesty and will result in a grade of 0 with no possibility of recovery, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Bibliography
Detailed references will be presented thorugh UAB Virtual Campus-MOOC.
Main general references:
Asundi, A. Y., Reddy, S., & Krishnamurthy, M. (2023). Digital humanities: Concepts, tools, and applications. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 43(04), 276-281.
Berry, D. M. (2012). Introduction: Understanding the digital humanities. In Understanding digital humanities (pp. 1-20). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Brennan, C. (2018). Digital humanities, digital methods, digital history, and digital outputs: History writing and the digital revolution. History Compass, 16(10), e12492.
Cheong, M., & Coghlan, S. (2025). Transition to Digital Ethics: A Primer from Philosophy to Practice. Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Ch'ng, E., Gaffney, V., & Chapman, H. (Eds.). (2013). Visual heritage in the digital age. London: Springer.
Chung-sing, C. (2022). On Digital Humanities: from a Philosophical--Cultural Point of view. Digital Humanities Research, 2(2), 3.
Colley, S. (2014). Ethics and digital heritage. In The ethics of cultural heritage (pp. 13-32). New York, NY: Springer New York.
Cope, B., & Phillips, A. (Eds.). (2025). The future of the book in the digital age. Chandos Publishing.
Dhamani, N. (2024). Introduction to generative AI. Simon and Schuster.
Drucker, J. (2021). The digital humanities coursebook: an introduction to digital methods for research and scholarship. Routledge.
Fuchs, C. (2022). Digital humanism: A philosophy for 21st century digital society. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Gardiner, E., & Musto, R. G. (2015). The digital humanities: A primer for students and scholars. Cambridge University Press.
Giglitto, D., Ciolfi, L., Lockley, E., & Kaldeli, E. (2023). Digital Approaches to Inclusion and Participation in Cultural Heritage. Routledge: London, UK.
Gold, M. K. (Ed.). (2012). Debates in the digital humanities. U of Minnesota Press.
Grincheva, N., & Stainforth, E. (2024). Geopolitics of Digital Heritage. Cambridge University Press.
Hayles, N. K., & Pressman, J. (Eds.). (2013). Comparative textual media: Transforming the humanities in the postprint era. U of Minnesota Press.
Henrickson, L. (2025). Digital textuality. De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures, 17, 17.
Intan, N. (2024, August). Philosophy digital of era. In Proceeding of International Conference on Islamic and Interdisciplinary Studies (Vol. 3, pp. 19-24).
Jones, S. E. (2013). The emergence of the digital humanities. Taylor & Francis.
Judijanto, L., Hardiansyah, A., & Arifudin, O. (2025). Ethics and security in artificial intelligence and machine learning: Current perspectives in computing. International Journal of Society Reviews (INJOSER), 3(2), 374-380.
Kaplan, J. (2024). Generative artificial intelligence: What everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press.
Konkoli, Z., Stepney, S., Broersma, H., Dini, P., Nehaniv, C. L., & Nichele, S. (2018). Philosophy of computation. Computational Matter, 153-184.
Kovač, M. (2024). Generative Artificial Intelligence. Springer Books.
Lara, F., & Deckers, J. (Eds.). (2024). Ethics of artificial intelligence. Springer Nature.
Le Deuff, O. (2018). Digital humanities: history and development. John Wiley & Sons.
Luhmann, J., & Burghardt, M. (2022). Digital humanities—A discipline in its own right? An analysis of the role and position of digital humanities in the academic landscape. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 73(2), 148-171.
MacDonald, L. (2006). Digital heritage. Routledge.
Maduro, D. C. (Ed.). (2017). Digital media and textuality: from creation to archiving. transcript Verlag.
Mayo-Wilson, C., & Zollman, K. J. (2021). The computational philosophy: simulation as a core philosophical method. Synthese, 199(1), 3647-3673.
Muhlert, M. (2025). Philosophy. exe: The Techno-philosophical Toolkit for Modern Minds. CRC Press.
Müller, K. (2021). Digital archives and collections: Creating online access to cultural heritage (Vol. 11). Berghahn Books.
Nyhan, J., & Flinn, A. (2016). Computation and the humanities: towards an oral history of digital humanities (p. 285). Springer Nature.
Pawlicka-Deger, U., & Thomson, C. (Eds.). (2023). Digital Humanities and Laboratories: Perspectives on Knowledge, Infrastructure and Culture. Taylor & Francis.
Prem, E. (2024). Principles of digital humanism: A critical post-humanist view. Journal of Responsible Technology, 17, 100075.
Schäfer, M. T., & Van Es, K. (Eds.). (2017). The datafied society: Studying culture through data. Amsterdam University Press.
Silva-Atencio, G. (2025). The challenges and opportunities for ethics in generative artificial intelligence in the digital age. Dyna, 92(SPE236), 26-35.
Song, F. (2024). Exploring and Rethinking Digital Humanities in Philosophical Perspective. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 190, p. 02022). EDP Sciences.
Sula, C. A., & Hill, H. V. (2019). The early history of digital humanities: An analysis of Computers and the Humanities (1966–2004) and Literary and Linguistic Computing (1986–2004). Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 34(Supplement_1), i190-i206.
Tribhuvan, A. P. (2024). Preserving Our Past: A Thorough Examination of Methods and Technologies in Digital Heritage. Preprints, 2024051185.
Viola, L. (2023). The humanities in the digital: Beyond critical digital humanities (p. 173). Springer Nature.
Wamba, S. F., Queiroz, M. M., Randhawa, K., & Gupta, G. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence and the challenges to adding value ethically. Technovation, 144, 103235.
Warwick, C., Terras, M., & Nyhan, J. (Eds.). (2012). Digital humanities in practice. Facet Publishing.
Wu, S. W. P., & Din, H. W. H. (Eds.). (2014). Digital heritage and culture: strategy and implementation. World Scientific.
Software
There is not a single software for this first introductory course
A list of Generative Artificial Intelligence apps that can be used during the course
ChatGPT, https://chat.openai.com/
LeChat https://mistral.ai/
PerplexityAI, https://www.perplexity.ai
Claude, https://claude.ai/
DeepSeek, https://deepseek.com/
Gemini, https://gemini.google.com/
Cohere, https://cohere.com
Sherpa.ai, https://sherpa.ai/
BotXO, https://botxo.ai/
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEMm) Seminars (master) | 1 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |