Brian Clites
Online research has been invaluable for my dissertation on how Catholic laypersons have responded to the sexual abuse crisis. I have curated new digital collections on the scandal, as well as volunteered my skills at nonprofit organizations that digitize legal and media archives related to the abuses.
I'm eager to find ways to incoporate more interactive technology into the classroom. How can we use technology to enhance intrapersonal interactions and increase verbal participation?
In addition to making websites for each of my classes, I've required students to curate short digital exhibits in place of conventional writing assignments, and switched the final paper into a web design project about a significant event in American Religious History. I've been pleasantly surprised with the uptick in the quality of their writing! Is it possible that assignments like digital curation actually slow down the writing process, providing more time for analysis? Or is it merely that producing a public document pressures students to improve their prose?
Looking forward to ThatCampAAR!
