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- Herausgeber: Bentham Science Publishers
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Serie: Telecommunication
- Sprache: Englisch
Changing Humanities and Smart Application of Digital Technologies is a collection of research articles relevant to digital humanities (the use of technology to advance our understanding of the humanities). A key aim of this volume is to demonstrate the potential of using computer technology to creating new humanistic knowledge-based systems through innovative applications. Readers will learn about applications in digital humanities through 11 chapters which explore a variety of computer applications in education and social research. Topics covered in the volume range from the role of internet in understanding, to the more technical domains of GIS and mobile device applications in studying religion, literature, geography, history and games. This volume is a useful reference for scholars and graduate students involved in humanities and social science research, as it provides readers with creative insights into digital technology applications to build on their research goals.
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Seitenzahl: 280
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
Ähnliche
Telecommunication
(Volume 1)
Changing Humanities and Smart
Application of Digital Technologies
Edited By:
Kuo Hung Huang
BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS LTD.
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FOREWORD
It is with pleasure that I take advantage of the opportunity to write the foreword for this book, which is the work and effort of scholars to explore new ground and participate in research that infuses innovative methods and thinking into academic investigations around people’s lives.
Innovative contributions are being made in literature, in history, in geography, in religion, and in education. These contribution are providing the basis for new ways of understanding the contextual nature of technological application practices emerging from humanities research and instruction.
Not only is this book of great value to the digital humanities researchers, but it is equally important and instructive to scholars who are interested in the interdisciplinary research from diverse fields. I hope this book will inspire you to pursue innovative research within existing culture.
PREFACE
As the title of this book implies, its purpose is to utilize a perspective derived from humanities to consider some of the potential uses of computers in humanities teaching and research. Our intent in producing this book is to provide readers with exemplars of the types of combining computers and subject matters in social science and humanities. Accordingly, our contributors address a variety of computer applications to education and research, which range from humanities, such as literature, geography, history, and religion, to the more technical domains of GIS, mobile devices, and networks.
If this book has any major objective, it is to draw attention to the inter-disciplinary nature of digital humanities, which remain controversial in scholarships or methodologies among academic communities. In doing so, the issues addressed draw on the themes of researching and teaching from a number of subject areas. Our strategy for introducing and synthesizing these issues is to hold an independent and open view of technology adoption. We try to present the various concerns of digital humanities as they emerged in discussions at academic gatherings.
The book is organized loosely into four sections. In Part 1, a chapter by the editor focuses on the situation of digital humanities in scholarly community. Although the advantages are acknowledged prevalently, the debate on applying digital technology on humanities research still continues. The ongoing controversy surrounds the academic values and social acceptance of digital humanities. Thus, more innovative applications in various fields, such as history, religion, or language, should be attempted, reported, or even criticized to inspire elaboration on the forms or values of digital humanities.
In Part 2, four chapters report on adopting spatial technology in humanities research in religion, Chinese literature, geography, and history. GIS (Geographic Information System) is widely used for professional purpose or daily task. With tremendous accumulation of spatial data such as satellite images, street view pictures, and digital maps, GIS provides the humanities researchers with a spatial perspective to explore the connections between places, time, events, or even sentiment. In Chapter 2, the authors introduced the use of Google Earth to conduct an exploratory study on the forbidden religious topic- burial site. In Chinese culture, death is associated with mysteries and taboos. Particularly, conversation about afterlife arrangement with the elderly is seen as an offending behavior. Visualizing the places of good Feng Shui, GIS with 3D views serves as a communication medium for understanding old people’s feelings. In Chapter 3, the authors share the innovative instruction experience in a Chinese literature course by combining GIS and famous war in history. Through visualizing maps and animation, students are able to better understand the spatial movements and use of military strategy and tactics while reading paragraphs about a famous war in “Shi-ji”. Chapter 4 demonstrates how GIS is capable of researching on history data by analyzing the distribution characteristic of commemorative shrines and steles of the Song Dynasty. After cross-checking the historical documents, these geographic evidences can play a crucial role initiating the cooperation between two fields. The authors of chapter 5 show that GIS transformed history data into drawn maps regarding a historical event, namely Batu Caves Turmoil. And thus, these maps can help to illustrate the cause, the process of and solutions to this event.
In Part 3, three chapters describe how to utilize network applications to support educational activities. Internet usage grows rapidly and tremendously. More importantly, innovative services are developed and incorporated into virtually every aspect of modern life. For example, Internet applications like cloud computing, virtual community, social media, digital library, or MOOCS are creating new forms of social interaction. Also, the online educational materials and activities enable self-learning and encourage new ways of learning, collaboration, and information sharing. Through the cases in chapter 6 to chapter 8, the Internet applications have proven to be a significant influence on education. Chapter 6 introduces the network educational system for Shogi, a Japanese chess game. As an important form of activities to improve skills, post-game discussions frequently take place among Shogi players. The authors designed SAKURA (Shogi Archives and Kansousen Utilities for Research and Advice), an Internet architecture for Shogi. With servers for shared database storing game records and comments, SAKURA supports discussions with shared boards and graphical interfaces visualizing variations of moves. In Chapter 7, the authors describe the process of adopting ODIS (Official Document Information System) in educational administration. Initially, directors and staff resist ODIS to operate on information system because of inconveniences and environmental changes. After constantly interacting with the leadership assignment as leaders or followers, directors and staff gradually accept the new way of distributed leadership. Therefore, work effectiveness is evidently improved. Chapter 8 describes the establishment of eK4 (e-Knowledge Consortium Shikoku) as a local university alliance to provide e-Learning courses related to Shikoku island. For the purpose of facilitating deeper understanding of humanities contents regarding Shikoku region, the consortium organizes e-learning contents of the characteristic lectures at eight universities and implements features of distributed Learning Management System and Shibboleth identification for credit transfer.
In the last part of this book, three chapters examine the effects of the technology on human behavior from a theoretically orientated perspective. Chapter 9 clarifies Transactive Memory Theory that human has the ability to store memory with the aid of the externally stored memories with the advancement of information technology. In chapter 10, the authors present an empirical study indicating that the use of mobile technology as a medium is able to facilitate bilingual language acquisition. Chapter 11 claims the urgent needs for moral development of the Internet users because the anonymity and online free expression significantly characterizes the virtual world which is full of moral dilemmas and value conflicts.
While not attempting to provide a comprehensive examination of all the possible uses of computers in humanities, we purposefully invite contributors to reflect their theoretical philosophies and hand-on experiences, with which we are concerned, as well as a wide range of practical applications. Hopefully, this book will draw the attention of or bring inspiration to digital humanities among academic communities.
List of Contributors
Part 1: Humanities and Application of Digital Technologies
E-research Acceptance and Humanities Community
Kuo-Hung Huang*Abstract
Digital humanities is broadly characterized as humanities research associated with data-driven activities. Computational technologies are adopted to explore new methods and tools supplementing established research routines in humanities. However, humanities researchers expressed concerns that the enthusiasm to promote and accelerate the application of technology in humanities teaching and research might overlook the significance of humanities itself. This article points out the advantages of technologies in respond to humanities concerns.
INTRODUCTION
Digital Humanities, a term used during the early 2000s, was defined, by researchers from a variety of fields, as a new discipline exploring computational methods for traditionally-defined humanities scholarships (Puschmann & Bastos, 2015). In fields of humanities research, such as archive collection, text analysis, map digitalization, and history visualization, computational technologies are adopted to explore new methods and tools supplementing established research routines in humanities (Juola, 2008). Due to its interdisciplinary and technolo-
gical nature, digital humanities are broadly characterized as humanities research associated with data-driven activities. Incorporating a range of different interpretations and innovative technologies, digital humanities has evolved to a unique scholarly field or movement. Studies in media and culture, archive creation and digital library, e-learning, and the prevailing community websites have also been referred to as digital humanities generally (McPherson, 2009).
The suffix “digital”, which has affinity to information technology, is progressively used to delimit the new computational areas of humanities research. Due to the pervasive use of communication tools, such as social media, it is most commonly defined as new media, which refers to content accessible on any digital device through interactive user feedback and creative participation on the Internet. With information and communication capabilities to improve intellectual and social life, new media provides a way to interact with other people in a manner that is fundamentally different from what we have had before. People are able to take advantage of expertise spread around the globe or ask virtual friends for advice. Furthermore, the human mind is no longer isolated by location, but is distributed all over the Internet. The entire wealth of stored human knowledge can be accessed through shared mental tools.
CONCERNS FROM THE HUMANITIES COMMUNITY
However, the concept of the use of computers to offer the potential of the expansion of human intellect is little more than a vision, as such claims are not strongly supported by empirical evidences (Olson, 1985; Pea, 1985; Sewell, 1990). Information is not equal to intellect. Access to millions of copies of digital textbooks or online courses of elite universities does not guarantee users’ successful learning. Given the availability of such tools and resources, students will rely on finding more and learning less. In fact, the majority of the population use new media for social or entertainment purposes. Furthermore, Striebel (1986) argued that, within a technological framework, all these approaches reflect a shift towards technologizing education, which is consonant with a statement by Elkind (1985) “delegitimize non-technological methods of learning and thinking about problems”.
Similar reservations have been expressed by several humanities researchers. They worry that our enthusiasm to promote and accelerate the application of technology in humanities teaching and research might overlook the significance of humanities itself. In spite of the enormous educational value and research inspirations, particularly association with the convenient use of resources, technology is deeply mistaken as a ‘fast-food approach’ necessarily required in the digital era, and therefore, reduces the educational perspectives and aims that emphasize holistic approaches to nurture humanist whole development.
On the contrary, some humanities researchers in the design field reiterate the importance of digital scholarships. The scholarly digital projects not only provide a researching opportunity for practitioners, but also post an issue regarding role of design in the creation and representation of knowledge for design thinking researchers (Burdick & Willis, 2011). For example, Christine Borgman asserted that, making the digital scholarship an innovating force in humanities research will prevent the community from falling behind in this multimodal and dynamic world, and thus, avoid becoming a victim of the tremendous restructuring of higher education (Borgman, 2009). Additionally, Sams, Lim, and Park (2011) claimed that the online content will provide a rich source of data for academic researches, particularly in social science and humanities. For example, they found that news blogs formed a centerpiece of election campaigns after using blog posts to examine the relationship between the number of votes received by political candidates and the level of their online presence. Consequently, the development of e-Research tool providing access to large online datasets instead of established data collection led to discover new sociopolitical phenomena or theoretical model.
The differences of attitudes regarding information practices between scholarly communities have been revealed by several studies. Digital learning repositories are increasingly important, as they provide resources for teaching, have the potential of fostering innovative new professional behavior, and facilitate the sharing of good pedagogical practices (Millard, Borthwick, Howard, McSweeney, & Hargood, 2013). With abundance of digital collections presently available, integrating primary sources into humanities teaching and learning at the university level becomes more convenient than before; however, collections of online primary sources are still underutilized (Lindquist & Long, 2011). Harley (2007) conducted a study with humanities faculty, and identified several barriers regarding the adoption of digital resources, namely difficulties in finding, maintaining, and selecting appropriate resources for classroom instruction. These issues are not easily resolved without the faculty’s devotion of time and awareness of available resources. As Millard, Borthwick, Howard, McSweeney, and Hargood, (2013) claimed, the most significant barrier to participate is innovative behavior itself, as practitioners do not traditionally share their materials or approaches in public.
Another study by Fry (2006) indicated that “the way in which scholarly communities coordinate and control research problems, techniques, strategies, task outcomes, and reputations will significantly influence the production and use of digital infrastructures and resources across fields” (p. 312). Therefore, the author constructed an argument that “patterns the coordination and control within scholarly communities, as shaped by levels of mutual dependence and task-uncertainty, which will influence the development of field-based strategies for information practices within the context of networked digital resources” (p. 312). In other words, with the cultural configuration of knowledge production practices in the digital field, the humanities scholarly community is less concerned with teamwork on producing field-based digital resources and integrating them into their epistemology.
LOOKING FORWARD
Meaning is created between people as their viewpoints are expressed in discourse. The challenge for digital humanities researchers is creating a shared social reality through continuous endeavors that give insights into the criteria and facilitate reflection on meaning making process. Soon and Park (2009), from the social science perspective in an Asian context, asserted that main obstacles preventing social scientists and humanities from approaching and embracing new technologies to conduct research work was lack of technical knowledge and skills. In addition to education and training programs to enhance social scientists’ expertise combining computational science and social sciences, a practical change to overcome the barrier will be promoting collaborative efforts among social scientists, computer professionals, and humanities scholars.
A number of digital humanities projects have indicated that the success of digital humanities depends on selecting the appropriate technology. For example, a study on digitizing an old text verifies that the technological tools appropriate for the task can facilitate accuracy as well as critical reflection, and thus, avoid the alleged risk of shallowness associated with utilizing computers (Carr, 2010; Delfino, 2011). Led by technological change, new challenges and opportunities will motivate the development of new dimensions for humanities, and eventually evolve new digital scholarships. The sense of urgency has been articulated clearly- the humanities research field is in great need of innovation.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The author confirms that the author has no conflict of interest to declare for this publication.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology for the financial support of this project (NSC 102-2420-H-415-004-MY2).
REFERENCES
Borgman, C. L. (2009). The digital future is now:a call to action for the humanities. Digital Humanities Quarterly,3(6) online serial.Burdick, A., Willis, H. (2011). Digital learning, digital scholarship and design thinking. Design Studies,32(6), 546-556. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2011.07.005]Carr, N. (2010). The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains, New York: Norton & Co.;Delfino, M. (2011). Against BibliOblivion: How modern scribes digitized an old book. Computers and Education,57(3), 2145-2155. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.05.018]Elkind, D. (1985). The impact of computer use on cognitive development in young children: A theoretical analysis. Computers in Human Behavior,1(2), 131-141. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0747-5632(85)90026-3]Fry, J. (2006). Scholarly research and information practices: A domain analytic approach. Information Processing and Management, (42)299-316. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2004.09.004]Harley, D. (2007). Use and users of digital resources: a survey explores scholars’ attitudes about educational technology environments in the humanities. EDUCAUSE Q,30(4), 12-20.Juola, P. (2008). Killer applications in digital humanities. Literary and Linguistic Computing,23(1), 73-83. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/llc/fqm042]Lindquist, T., Long, H. (2011). How can educational technology facilitate student engagement with online primary sources? A user needs assessment. Library Hi Tech,29(2), 224-241. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07378831111138152]McPherson, T. (2009). Introduction: Media studies adn the digital humanities. Cinema Journal,48(2), 119-123.Millard, D.E., Borthwick, K., Howard, Y., McSweeney, P., Hargood, C. (2013). The HumBox: Changing educational practice around a learning resource repository. Computers and Education, (69)287-302. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.07.028]Olson, D.R. (1985). Computers as tools of the intellect. Educational Researcher,14(5), 5-8. [http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189X014005005]Pea, R.D. (1985). Integrating human and computer intelligence. In: Klein EL, eds. Children and Computers: New directions for child development, San Francisco: Jossey Bass; 75-96.Puschmann, C., Bastos, M. (2015). How digital are the Digital Humanities? An analysis of two scholarly blogging platforms. PLoS One,10(2), e0115035. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115035] [PMID: 25675441]Sams, S., Lim, Y.S., Park, H.W. (2011). E-research applications for tracking online socio-political capital in the Asia-Pacific region. Asian Journal of Communication,21(5), 450-466. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2011.594897]Sewell, D.F. (1990). New tools for new minds: A cognitive perspective on the use of computers with young children, London: Harvester Wheatsheaf;Soon, C., Park, H.W. (2009). The rise of e-science in Asia: Dreams and realities for social science research. Case studies of Singapore and South Korea. In: Jankowski N, eds. E-research: Transformations in Scholarly Practice, London: Routledge; 109-128.Striebel, M.J. (1986). A critical analysis of the use of computers in education. Educational Communication and Technology,34(5), 137-161.Part 2: Spatial Technology and Humanities Understanding
Feng Shui and Technology: Case Studies of Spatial Information Applications
Kuo-Hung Huang1,*,Ching-Ching Cheng2Abstract
This paper reports several case studies on creating innovative applications of spatial technology with Feng Shui in order to meet the requirements of burials. Case study research is used to investigate how individual behaviors are influenced by integrating technology with Feng Shui, within its context. A qualitative design is chosen to collect data from interviews, participatory observations, and demonstrations. The researcher interviewed the case subjects in order to assess their needs, and then accompanied them on their trips to family tombs and recorded the traverse path. Finally, this researcher displays the maps and discusses the applications. Findings indicated that Google Earth could be used with Feng Shui for filtering information regarding site selection, as well as recording and sharing information on burial activities. Above all, spatial information on the Internet could serve as a medium for cultural communications between generations. This study increases our understanding of the meaning of Feng Shui to our elders, and how to integrate spatial information with traditional culture.
INTRODUCTION
Originally developed in China, the Feng Shui theory has long been used in architecture and landscape design and planning in East Asian countries, and has
been extending its influences into daily lives (Huang & Teng, 2009; Mak & Ng, 2005). The main premise of the Feng Shui theory is to maintain a harmonious relationship between humans and environment. The literal meaning of Feng Shui is wind and water, and its major concerns are protecting sites from wind, and obtaining fresh water. The theoretical basis of Feng Shui relies on the concept of chi, the vital force that influences the fate of the space’s occupants. Accordingly, decision-making regarding living spaces and burial sites are at the center of Feng Shui practices (Chang & Lii, 2010; Chen & Wu, 2009). In fact, Feng Shui has developed into two main fields, namely, “Yang House” Feng Shui, which is applied to palaces, cities, villages, and housing, and “Yin House” Feng Shui, which is applied to graves. Both have similar criteria for deciding grave and housing locations. Believing the quality of their Feng Shui influences both the physical and mental health of the inhabitants, many Chinese link the construction and the main direction of their houses with their fate (Mak & Ng, 2005).
The Chinese believe that fortune and health follow the gathering of positive chi. According to Feng Shui principles, the site of human dwellings must be located at a place where the heavenly chi and earthly chi are constantly interacting in harmony (Chang & Lii, 2010). Feng Shui concerns the physical form of the site under consideration and its surrounding environment. For an auspicious orientation, the Feng Shui master searches for propitious locations and directions, such as a favorable mountain range, lucky surrounding hills, or a nearby river. The process of searching is unpredictable, time consuming, and sometimes disturbing, particularly if a location is in urgent need, as in cases of funerals. Field observations have the disadvantage of only providing limited information on the area-wide distribution of the Feng Shui locations.
