• Workshops

    We are very happy to announce a great series of Workshops being offered at Great Lakes THAT camp 2012! Registration (via the RSVP form attendees received in their Great Lakes THATCamp 2012 acceptance email) is on a first come, first served basis (space is very limited). There is no tuition for the workshops, which will be held on Friday, April 20th.

    The workshops will run two or three at a time. Apologies in advance for any inconveniences or disappointments this may cause. Life is about making choices!

    Friday April 20th, 9:00-11:30 am

    Developing Alternate and Augmented Reality Games

    ARGs are an emerging game genre that use place-based technology and other techniques to bring game play out of the online world and into real public spaces like streets, museums, parks, or schools. As a member of the Ontario Augmented Reality Network, I have been investigating the opportunities these activities and technologies create for education. Tecumseh Lies Here is a SSHRC- and Ontario Media Development Corporation-funded game that I designed with colleagues and students to teach participants about the War of 1812 while arming them with some of the tools and skills of practicing historians. In September, we ran a successful beta test of our game; a larger public launch is planned for Summer 2012. In this workshop, I will be presenting this project and leading a discussion of the potential and challenges of games and ARGs for education more broadly.

    • Instructor: Rob MacDougall
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Nothing
    • Location: University Community Center Room 41

    Campers:

    1. D. Drysdale
    2. Sonja Sapach
    3. David Fiander
    4. Ali Versluis
    5. S Graham
    6. Jenn Martin
    7. Lauren Burr
    8. Bill Denton
    9. Lindsay Bannister
    10. Daniel Rueck
    11. Christopher Green
    12. Katherine Lumley
    13. Melissa Walker
    14. Dan Sich
    15. Carolynne Gabriel
    16. Meghan Adams
    17. John Reed
    18. Fred Cahill

    Social Network Analysis with Sylva

    Recent research in the field of Digital Humanities has identified several common patterns in how information is related. We have observed that topics are connected by a net of relationships that can be seen as a complex network. Complex networks, or graphs, are mathematical concepts with a group of properties that allow a deep analysis of the links between the different objects of the studied environment. Sylva is a tool developed within the CulturePlex Laboratory to help manage the complexity of these networks in a straightforward manner and allow the researcher to share the results with other colleagues. It is comprised of three main components:

    1. Sylva Data: An application that stores data avoiding traditional SQL restrictions. It employs a free schema that is created by the user and that can be modified at any time with painless programming tasks. The graph-based representation used creates links that associate entities in the same way they are related in the real world.
    2. Sylva Visualization: A collection of tools providing easy ways to query the data stored. It allows the user interact with the data and shows it in an understandable way.
    3. Sylva Analysis: A suite of advanced tools to apply statistical and data mining processes to the information stored in the system.

    We will show how to build a database from scratch using Sylva. We will also show how a cultural network looks like and how it can be grown. Finally, we will teach several methods to analyze the social components of the resulting network.

    • Instructors: Juan Luis Suarez and Anabel Quan-Haase
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Laptop
    • Location: University College Room 113

    Campers:

    1. Monica Rettig
    2. Tim Bristow
    3. Sandra Parmegiani
    4. Jacy Young
    5. Elika Ortega
    6. Katie Urban
    7. Pam Saliba
    8. Carrie Smith
    9. Eva Gavaris
    10. Carey Toane
    11. Marni Harrington
    12. Grant Campbell
    13. Mary Claire Vandenburg
    14. Alison Ariss

    Introduction to Arduino and Physical Computing

    From the Arduino website: “Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.”

    • Instructors: Bill Turkel and Devon Elliott
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Laptop with Arduino software pre-installed. If you have your own Arduino or other electronic components, bring them.
    • Location: Lawson Hall 2270C

    Campers:

    1. Mita Williams
    2. Dale Askey
    3. Amy Cavender
    4. Norma Gelinas
    5. Anna Dundas
    6. Francisco Ramirez
    7. Ruby Lavallee
    8. Svitlana Matviyenko
    9. Andrew McAlorum
    10. Sarah Thorne
    11. Nathan Kelber
    12. Renee Willmon
    13. Tim Compeau

    Friday April 20th, 1-3:30 pm

    Turning Libraries into Hackerspaces

    Libraries have always been in the midst of change, from the advent of the written word right up until the coming of the Internet. With Wikipedia, ebooks, and other avenues of seemingly limitless information at nearly everyone’s fingertips, libraries have never been as poised to sink-or-swim as they are today. The time is ripe for libraries and library workers to start hacking their own path to a DIY future. Join us as we figure out ways to transform the library, the library worker, and the library patron from consumers into producers.

    • Instructors: Sarah Simpkin and John Fink
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Nothing
    • Location: University College Room 114

    Campers:

    1. David Fiander
    2. Ali Versluis
    3. Mita Williams
    4. Jenn Martin
    5. Monica Rettig
    6. Tim Bristow
    7. Dale Askey
    8. Anna Dundas
    9. Lindsay Bannister
    10. John Reed
    11. Ruby Lavallee
    12. Pam Saliba
    13. Katherine Lumley
    14. Dan Sich
    15. Carey Toane
    16. Tim Compeau
    17. Meghan Adams
    18. Alison Ariss
    19. Fred Cahill

    Introduction to TEI for Hypertext and Digital Archives

    Since the mid-1990s, the XML format devised and developed by the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) has been the standard for text markup in the humanities. This workshop will introduce the basic mechanics of XML markup, and the TEI Guidelines in particular, with an eye to guiding those interested in learning how to produce hypertext, digital editions, and digital archives that conform to the broad standards that have been established for the Digital Humanities.  We will be providing as well some direction and a list of resources to assist participants in extending their understanding of and facility in the creation of digital text resources.

    We encourage interested “veterans” of TEI markup to attend as well, to lend their own expertise and insights to the workshop!

    • Instructor: Mark McDayter
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring:  Laptop with the free 30-day trial version of oXygen XML editor installed (go here: http://www.oxygenxml.com/register.html), a plain text document of any description to work with.
    • Location: University Community Center Room 41

    Campers:

    1. D. Drysdale
    2. Lauren Burr
    3. Sandra Parmegiani
    4. Amy Cavender
    5. Heather Whipple
    6. Jacy Young
    7. Elika Ortega
    8. Daniel Rueck
    9. Andrew McAlorum
    10. Sarah Thorne
    11. Anabel Quan-Haase
    12. Melissa Walker
    13. Carolynne Gabriel
    14. Grant Campbell
    15. Mary Claire Vandenburg

    3D Printing

    In this workshop we will demonstrate the process of laser scanning, to create a three-dimensional digital representation of a physical object, then print a plastic copy of the object using a MakerBot Thing-O-Matic printer. We will also discuss the process of designing objects to be printed, the use of open source plans from sites like Thingiverse, and the process of building both MakerBot and RepRap 3D printers.

    • Instructors: Bill Turkel and Devon Elliott
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Nothing
    • Location: Lawson Hall 2270C

    Campers:

    1. Sonja Sapach
    2. S Graham
    3. Ian Milligan
    4. Bill Denton
    5. Norma Gelinas
    6. Francisco Ramirez
    7. Katie Urban
    8. Svitlana Matviyenko
    9. Christopher Green
    10. Nathan Kelber
    11. Jennifer Lackey
    12. Carrie Smith
    13. Renee Willmon
    14. Eva Gavaris
    15. Marni Harrington

    Friday April 20th, 4-6:30 pm

    3D Archaeology

    3D Animation and Visual Effects veterans Michael Carter and Andrew Alzner will walk you through the CGI reconstruction of an Iroquois Longhouse. We will be using Houdini, an off-the-shelf 3D Animation software application from Side Effects Software and the concept of procedural animation networks, to demonstrate the ability to rapidly prototype, build and test multiple real-time iterations of 3D reconstructions through archaeological landscape elements such as soil stain and fire hearth positions. This is an exciting opportunity to see film and television techniques employed for archaeological research.

    • Instructor: Michael Carter and Andrew Alzner
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Nothing
    • Location: University College Room 114

    Campers:

    1. Ali Versluis
    2. S Graham
    3. Katie Urban
    4. Svitlana Matviyenko
    5. Christopher Green
    6. Mohammed Afana
    7. Katherine Lumley
    8. Nathan Kelber
    9. Renee Willmon
    10. Dan Sich
    11. Tim Compeau
    12. Alison Ariss

    Storyboards are Visual Writing

    Storyboards are visual writing; a way of communicating through pictures. Shot selection, composition, and timing are the grammar of this way of storytelling. Storyboarding is used to design and plan everything from annual reports, presentations, television series, to the visual effects on features. Boards act as a first visual draft of a script. Using simple tools to go analog prior to going digital, the basics of boarding will be explained, samples explored and the ability to visualize your story enhanced. The workshop will be led by James Caswell, a storyboard artist in the GTA for over 25 years and with experience boarding commercials, industrials, live-action and animated television series and animated features. He currently instructs on story and project development in the Bachelor of Applied Arts: Animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville.

    • Instructor: James Caswell
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond (drawing experience is not necessary)
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: Pencil, paper and Post-It Notes
    • Location: Lawson Hall 2270C

    Campers

    1. Mita Williams
    2. Monica Rettig
    3. Tim Bristow
    4. Dale Askey
    5. Lindsay Bannister
    6. Ruby Lavallee
    7. Bill Turkel
    8. Melissa Walker
    9. James Ripley
    10. Meghan Adams
    11. Marni Harrington
    12. Mary Claire Vandenburg
    13. Fred Cahill

    Drupal Site Building Sprint

    This workshop will get you started with Drupal by building a simple, dynamic website for your Digital Humanities project. We’ll follow an intensive step-by-step process that focuses on Drupal best practices, taking advantage of most aspects of Drupal core and a selection of must-have contributed modules. Topics include:

    1. Basic setup and configuration
    2. Creating, editing, and moderating content
    3. Adding users, creating roles, and setting permissions
    4. Installing and enabling modules to extend functionality
    5. Create custom Content Types
    6. Taxonomies to manage tagging and categorization of content
    7. Add menus, edit existing menus, and reorganize menu links
    8. The powerful query builder Views to fetch and display content
    9. Blocks to configure what content appears in your site’s sidebars and other areas.
    10. Set up a user friendly environment with a WYSIWYG text editor
    11. Basic theming
    • Instructor: Andrew McAlorum
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: A laptop with Drupal installed on it. Mac and Windows users can install the Drupal core and the software needed to run it (*AMP stack) by installing the Acquia Dev Desktop. More information on Drupal installation can be found here.
    • Location: University Community Center Room 41

    Campers:

    1. D. Drysdale
    2. Sandra Parmegiani
    3. Amy Cavender
    4. Anna Dundas
    5. Heather Whipple
    6. Francisco Ramirez
    7. Jacy Young
    8. Gemma Richardson
    9. Daniel Rueck
    10. Pam Saliba
    11. Anabel Quan-Haase
    12. Carrie Smith
    13. Carolynne Gabriel
    14. Eva Gavaris
    15. Carey Toane
    16. Grant Campbell

    Dr. Glearning – Learning and Playing with the Phone

    This workshop is a hands-on exercise on the preparation of courses and activities for mobile phones through Dr. Glearning.
    Dr. Glearning is a platform that addresses the need for higher education level apps and aims to develop a flexible mobile educational game platform. The flexibility of Dr. Glearning will give instructors the opportunity to choose the desired content to be presented at each stage of their course. Students move along and ‘advance’ through the material provided by the instructor by completing the requirements of each different level on Dr. Glearning. By carrying out activities that increase in difficulty from one stage to another, students will go from level one: illetratum, to the most advanced level: the emeritus. This project has been developed at three levels: server, client, and content. The instructor controls the server – where all activities and contents are stored and it is here where they will upload the desired content (data, images, queries, etc.) to suit their purpose. The server, in turn, will feed the client, that is, the students’ smartphone app where they will be able to complete the activities (the content) prepared by their instructors.
    We will teach how to interact with the three levels of the platform: server, content, and terminal.

    • Instructors: Javier de la Rosa, Juan Luis Suarez and Elika Ortega
    • Difficulty Level: Beginner and beyond
    • Prerequisites / what to bring: nothing
    • Location: University College Room 113

    Campers:

    1. Sonja Sapach
    2. David Fiander
    3. Ian Milligan
    4. Jenn Martin
    5. Lauren Burr
    6. Norma Gelinas
    7. John Reed
    8. Sarah Thorne