Using Technology in Digital Humanities for Learning and Knowledge Dissemination

Abstract: Research on Digital Humanities (DH) has been boosted due to the investment in technology for developing access and interaction tools for handling Humanities and Heritage data. The availability of these tools lowers the distance between DH scholars and data generators, and students at various levels, not only because it facilitates access to information but also through the dissemination technologies used in these tools, designed for the improvement of user experience. Most of the disciplines associated with the humanities involve geographical and temporal references, often integrated. These references have been scientifically and pedagogically handled for centuries and are established through the use of maps and timelines. Both these supports have been implemented and used digitally and their potential has been risen through their innovative integration with narratives, storytelling and story maps, enabling the telling of historical events in narratives superimposed on maps. These can be enhanced when supported by rich data, such as images, videos, sound, and their possible combinations in virtual and augmented reality. In this paper, we describe an initial set of tools which use a subset of these technologies and data types to enable learning and dissemination of Humanities data and knowledge. We describe how techniques for making data available and tools for enhancing interaction with these data can improve user experience and potentiate learning and dissemination.