Faculty of ArtHISTORY 4P50 — 2021W DIRECTED RESEARCH
[Download as a PDF document here]
Topic: ‘Digitizing the photographic legacy of the Canada Games’
Course description
As part of this directed research course, you will join the Sport Oral History Archive (SOHA) research team as it embarks on a digitization initiative of the Canada Games Council’s (CGC) photograph collection of thousands of prints, slides and negatives dating back to the first Canada Games in 1967. In this course you will:
•Assist in the development of a digitization strategy that supports the CGC and enhances the SHOA’s collection of Canada Games oral history interviews;
• Receive hands-on training in digitization and photograph preservation from industry experts;
• Complete a 30-hours digitization practicum through the digitization of the CGC collection,
• Manage associated metadata;
• Build a digital exhibit using the Omeka web-publishing platform;
• Present your work to the Canada Games Council and through the Brock Faculty of Humanities blog.
Course learning outcomes
• Appraise major historic, historiographic and methodological debates of the various themes
addressed throughout the course, including: digitization and preservation; the ‘visual turn’
in oral history; visual culture and sport/sport history.
• Demonstrate advanced critical thinking, reading, and communication skills (written and oral) in accordance with the pursuit of a humanities education, including analytical skills in the reading of primary and secondary historical sources;
• Demonstrate skills of collaboration and leadership;
• Demonstrate professionalism;
• Demonstrate skills in data management;
• Demonstrate skills in digital humanities.
Evaluation
Preparation for meetings 20%
Digitization practicum (training; process; quality of output) 30%
Omeka exhibit 30%
Reflection/blog 20%
Course schedule
Week 1 (Mon., Sept. 13) – Introductory meeting (online)
• Overview of the course and the digitization project
• Development of bibliography (digitization and preservation; oral history and visual culture;
visual culture and sports)
Week 2 (Mon., Sept. 20) – Research team meeting/Orientation (online)
• Discuss readings (Weeks 1& 2 – located in the course OneDrive)
• Working with the SOHA’s Canada Games Collection
• Assignment of tasks and review of schedule
Week 3 – No meeting; independent research/analysis (Week 3 readings)
Week 4 (Mon., Oct. 4) – Research team meeting (online)
• Discuss readings (Weeks 3 & 4)
• Presentation and review of digitization strategies
• Finalization of digitization strategy
Week 5 – Digitization training and meeting with the Canada Games Council (in-person)
• Monday, Oct. 18 – Supervised digitization with Anitta Martignago; review SOHA digitization
guide (located in the course OneDrive; a hard copy is also located in the SOHA lab).
• Wed., Oct. 20 – SOHA team meeting with Canada Games Council delegation; handing over the CGC photograph collection; tour of the SOHA lab.
Week 6 – Digitization practicum (SOHA lab)
• Complete 6 hrs of digitization – schedule TBD
Week 7 – Digitization practicum (SOHA lab)
• Complete 6 hrs of digitization – schedule TBD
Week 8 – Digitization practicum (SOHA lab)
• Complete 6 hrs of digitization – schedule TBD
Week 9 (Mon., Nov.15) – Research teams meeting (online)
• Update on status of digitization and next steps
• Discuss Omeka exhibits; review exhibit outlines with Prof. Vlossak
Week 10 – Work on exhibit – no meeting
Week 11 – Work on exhibit – check in with Prof. Vlossak (schedule TBD)
Week 12 (and into exam period) – Final steps
Fri., Dec. 10, 10am (online) – Omeka workshop with Jess Linzel (SOHA research associate)
Fri., Dec. 17, 10am (online) – Meeting with Canada Games Council delegates and student
presentations
Final exhibit (in Omeka) and reflection paper (Word document) are due by end of the December (due date TBD).