Lab Activity: Digital Humanities

 This blog is based on the Digital Humanities assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. In this blog, I share my experience with the Moral Machine activity and examine the topic, “A Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext: Teaching Language & Literature to Digital Natives.” Through engaging with the provided reading materials and video lectures, I was able to connect theoretical insights with practical activities, enhancing my understanding of how digital tools can transform learning in contemporary education.

For Background Reading Click Here.

1. Moral Machine - as instructed in the class. Save the result as screenshots and pdf. Upload PDF in Google Drive and link it on the blog.

Result Link:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WZiKRQRob8-jb4Iy9B0HLdKFaz3j3EU3/view?usp=drive_link

2. Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext: Language & Literature to the Digital Natives.

In this video, the focus is on the important shift in pedagogy from traditional text-based teaching to hypertext-based digital learning, particularly in the context of English language and literature. The discussion begins with the idea that the habits of digital natives and the sudden impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way teaching and learning take place.

The concept of hypertext is introduced as a digital form of text that is more than just words on a page. Hypertext includes links, multimedia, images, and videos, which make the learning process more interactive and engaging. It helps students explore beyond the textbook and connect literature to a wider range of resources.

The video also emphasizes the need for teachers and learners to build a strong digital presence. Having personal blogs, websites, or YouTube channels provides a platform to share knowledge and resources in ways that are not always possible through institutional systems.

Practical aspects of online teaching are also highlighted, such as balancing synchronous (live classes) and asynchronous (recorded lectures and shared materials) learning. Tools like Google Classroom, Google Drive, and Google Meet are useful in this process. Innovative methods such as using a glass board for better interaction and Google Docs for collaborative writing activities make online classes more effective.

The challenges of teaching literature in a digital environment are also acknowledged. Literature often involves cultural and linguistic depth that can be difficult to communicate online. However, hypertext and online resources can help bridge these gaps by providing extra support through visuals, references, and multimedia.

The video further touches upon the growing phenomenon of AI-generated literature, which questions traditional ideas of creativity and authorship. This opens up new ways of thinking about literature and critical analysis.

In conclusion, the video underlines the importance of digital pedagogy. Blended, flipped, and mixed learning models are encouraged, along with the creation of digital portfolios for assessment. Finally, it suggests using privacy-conscious communication tools like Google Groups rather than casual apps for academic interactions. The overall message is clear: embracing hypertext and digital methods enriches student engagement and makes teaching more effective in the modern era.

Key Points

Hypertext Pedagogy: Moving from static text to interactive digital text with links, images, and multimedia.

Digital Presence: Blogs, websites, and YouTube channels are valuable tools for sharing knowledge.

Online Engagement: Many educators use platforms like Google Classroom and Google Meet after the pandemic.

Blended Learning: A balance of live teaching and recorded materials ensures flexible and inclusive learning.

Innovative Tools: Glass boards and Google Docs make online teaching more interactive.

Challenges in Literature Teaching: Cultural and linguistic gaps can be addressed with hypertext resources.

AI & Generative Literature: Artificial intelligence creates texts that challenge traditional ideas of authorship.

Digital Portfolios: A modern and authentic way to assess students’ learning journey.

Pedagogical Models: Blended, flipped, and mixed methods should be adapted to context.

Privacy in Communication: Academic groups and formal tools are better than casual messaging apps.   

Summary of presentation 

PART 1

Summary of the Presentation: Understanding Hypertext and Digital Pedagogy

The presentation explores the concept of Hypertext and its role in transforming digital pedagogy. It explains how digital media, through tools like HTML and HTTP, has reshaped the way knowledge is created, shared, and learned. Hypertext enables a form of communication that is interactive, non-linear, and multimedia-rich, marking a shift from traditional, text-based learning toward a more participatory and dynamic model of education. The PPT also emphasizes the decentering of the subject a postmodern concept that reflects the fragmented and multiple identities of learners and readers in the digital age. It further highlights innovative teaching approaches such as Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, and Mixed Mode Teaching, supported by tools like Digital Portfolios, Online Assessments, Lightboards, and OBS. Practical examples are provided to illustrate how these digital strategies can enhance the teaching of literature, writing, and communication.

Key Points

What is Hypertext?

Hypertext is a system for organizing and linking various forms of information such as text, images, audio, and video.

It allows users to navigate through interconnected pieces of content—for instance, clicking on a link within a text to access related material elsewhere.

Essential Tools

HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The coding language used to design and structure web pages.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): The communication protocol that enables the transfer of hypertext documents across the internet.

Hypertext in Literature and Media

Hypertext encourages non-linear reading, where readers can move freely between linked texts rather than following a single, fixed path.

This reflects postmodern thought, which sees the subject or self as unstable, fragmented, and decentralized.

Digital media allow readers to interact with and even co-create meaning, blurring the line between author and audience.

Pedagogical Transformation in the Digital Age

Traditional education often relied on teacher-centered, linear instruction.

Digital pedagogy, in contrast, promotes student-centered, interactive, and flexible learning.

In this model, both teachers and learners become active participants in constructing knowledge, fostering collaboration and critical engagement.

Objectives of the Faculty Development Program (FDP)

To develop effective strategies for teaching language and literature online.

To integrate innovative digital methodologies into classroom practices.

To encourage student engagement and creative participation in virtual learning environments.

Digital Pedagogical Models and Tools

Blended Learning: Integrates traditional classroom instruction with digital content and online activities.

Flipped Classroom: Students study concepts independently through digital resources; classroom time is used for discussion and application.

Mixed Mode Teaching: Combines online and face-to-face learning for greater flexibility.

Key Tools and Platforms:

Digital Portfolios for student work and reflection.

Online Assessments for timely feedback.

Asynchronous Learning (self-paced learning) and Synchronous Teaching (real-time sessions).

DCLS, CMS, and LMS as digital learning management platforms.

Practical Applications

Using Lightboards or Glassboards for visually engaging online lectures.

Applying flipped classroom methods to teach writing forms like business letters.

Integrating multimedia and OBS software for analyzing literary works such as Lockdown by Simon Armitage.

Teaching poetry like Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 through interactive platforms such as TED-Ed.

Implementing mixed mode learning that blends online engagement with physical classroom interaction.

PART 2

Summary of the Presentation: Hypertext Pedagogy in Language and Literature

The presentation explores how Hypertext Pedagogy can effectively enhance the teaching of language and literature in digital environments. It examines the pedagogical challenges posed by online teaching—particularly in conveying pronunciation, stress, modulation, and cultural or contextual nuances that are integral to understanding literature. Through the integration of hypertext and digital tools, educators can make learning more interactive, multimodal, and learner-centered. By linking texts with multimedia elements such as images, videos, mythological references, and online exhibits, teachers enable students to engage with literary materials in new and meaningful ways. This approach transforms students from passive recipients of information into active explorers of interconnected knowledge, while teachers assume the role of facilitators or guides in the learning process.

Key Ideas in Refined Language

Challenges in Online Language Teaching

Online teaching of language presents several difficulties. Students often face challenges in accurately grasping pronunciation, stress patterns, and voice modulation without the immediate feedback of a traditional classroom. Similarly, understanding the semantic and cultural dimensions of linguistic expressions becomes more complex in a virtual setting where non-verbal cues and tone are limited.

Use of Technological Tools

To overcome these challenges, a range of digital tools can be effectively employed:

Live Caption (Chrome Extension): Assists learners in following spoken words in real time.

Meet Transcript / Tactiq: Automatically generates transcripts and notes for online sessions, aiding comprehension and revision.

Google Drive: Facilitates easy sharing of resources, collaborative writing, and organized access to learning materials.

These tools collectively enhance accessibility, ensure inclusivity, and promote active participation in the digital classroom.

Engaging Learners through Hypertext

Hypertext pedagogy allows teachers to connect literature with multimedia—poetry, prose, drama, and novels can be linked to relevant images, videos, audio recordings, and online archives. This intertextual approach helps students experience texts in a multi-sensory and context-rich manner, deepening their understanding of literary concepts and cultural allusions.

Challenges in Teaching Literature Online

Teaching literature through digital platforms introduces unique challenges, such as:

Cultural and contextual variations that influence interpretation.

Differences in social codes of conduct and symbolic meaning.

Religious or mythological references that may be unfamiliar to learners.

Historical and geographical distances that hinder immediate comprehension.

These obstacles necessitate innovative, adaptive pedagogical strategies that can bridge cultural and temporal gaps.

Teaching Strategies Using Hypertext

Hypertext pedagogy supports creative and exploratory methods of teaching, such as:

Visual Interpretation: Using Google Image Search to illustrate literary phrases—e.g., visualizing imagery like “Noon’s blue pitcher” or Hawthorn flowers—to make poetic language tangible.

Mythological Contexts: Employing online exhibits such as Landscape with the Fall of Icarus to connect mythological and literary narratives, enriching students’ interpretive experience.

Learning Outcomes of Hypertext Pedagogy

The application of hypertext in pedagogy promotes a deeper and more interactive learning experience. Students gain the ability to:

Comprehend mythological references and literary techniques with greater clarity.

Understand theoretical frameworks such as the postmodern idea of “decentering the centre.”

Engage with knowledge non-linearly, exploring various interconnected layers of meaning rather than following a fixed path.

PART 3 

Summary of the Presentation: From Creative Literature to Generative Literature and Hypertext Pedagogy

The presentation explores the profound impact of digital technology and hypertext on both the creation and pedagogy of literature. It introduces the emerging concept of Generative Literature, a form of digital writing in which computers autonomously produce literary texts through the use of algorithms, rule-based systems, and lexical databases. This technological development challenges conventional notions of authorship, creativity, and temporality in literature.

The presentation also demonstrates how poem generators and similar tools can automatically compose various poetic and literary forms—such as sonnets, haikus, acrostics, rhyming couplets, and narrative poems—thereby transforming the process of creative writing. Furthermore, it discusses the growing field of digital literary analysis, which employs computational techniques such as macroanalysis, microanalysis, and corpus linguistics to study literature on a large scale. Tools like CLiC allow scholars to analyze texts for recurring patterns, keywords, and stylistic features, enhancing critical interpretation through data-driven insights.

In addition to content creation and analysis, the PPT underscores the pedagogical implications of digital transformation. It advocates for digital pedagogy that encourages learners to curate, archive, and share their academic work online through digital portfolios, thereby promoting collaboration, creativity, and digital citizenship. The presentation concludes by emphasizing the shift from static, print-based learning to dynamic, hypertext-based interaction, preparing students for a more interconnected and technologically engaged literary environment.

Key Points:- 

Generative Literature

Generative literature refers to the computer-assisted creation of literary texts, where algorithms and digital databases are used to generate poems, stories, or other creative compositions.

Examples include automatically generated haikus, sonnets, acrostics, narrative poems, and song lyrics.

This form of digital creativity questions the traditional boundaries between human and machine authorship, redefining the role of the writer and the process of literary creation.

Poem Generator Tools

Web-based platforms such as Poem-Generator.org.uk and Masterpiece Generator demonstrate how artificial intelligence can produce complete poems or literary pieces within seconds.

These tools can also be used pedagogically to evaluate authorship, inviting students to distinguish between human-written and computer-generated texts.

Digital Literary Analysis

The presentation highlights how computational methods are transforming literary research:

Macroanalysis and Microanalysis: These techniques allow scholars to examine vast collections of literary texts, identifying patterns and trends that would be impossible to detect manually.

Culturomics: Coined by Erez Lieberman-Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel, this approach uses big data to explore linguistic and cultural evolution across time.

Corpus Linguistics (e.g., CLiC): Analyzes word frequency, collocations, and discourse patterns to provide fresh insights into characterization, style, and narrative technique in literary texts.

Digital Portfolios and Student Work

The presentation encourages the creation of personal digital portfolios, where students can store, hyperlink, and showcase their academic projects and creative writing online.

This practice fosters a sense of digital authorship and academic ownership, promoting skills in curation, reflection, and public scholarship. It also aligns with the ideals of open education and lifelong digital literacy.

Pedagogical Transformation

The integration of hypertext and digital tools signifies a shift from traditional text-based teaching to interactive, multimodal learning environments.

In this framework, the teacher’s role transitions from information provider to facilitator, while students become active explorers of interconnected knowledge.

Approaches such as flipped classrooms, blended learning, and multimedia integration enable learners to engage critically and creatively with literary content.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this blog highlights how digital tools and hypertext have transformed the teaching and learning of language and literature. The shift from text to hypertext encourages interactive, student-centered, and multimodal learning that connects theory with practice. Through experiences like the Moral Machine activity and exploring generative literature, I understood how digital pedagogy fosters creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Embracing this change prepares both teachers and learners to thrive in a technologically enriched and globally connected educational environment.

Reference

Barad, Dilip. Pedagogical Shift From Text to Hypertext: Language and Literature to the Digital Natives. blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/09/pedagogical-shift-from-text-to.html.

DoE-MKBU. “A Pedagogical Shift From Text to Hypertext | Language and Literature to the Digital Natives.” YouTube, 15 Sept. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1H-ejKTGQM.