Announcing the Michigan State University Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool

Taking place from May 31st to July 1st (2011) on the campus of Michigan State University, theCultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool will introduce students to the tools and techniques required to creatively apply information and computing technologies to cultural heritage materials and questions.

The Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool is a unique experience that uses the model of an archaeological fieldschool (in which students come together for a period of 5 or 6 weeks to work on an archaeological site in order to learn how to do archaeology).  Instead of working on an archaeological site, however, students in the Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool will come together to collaboratively work on several cultural heritage informatics projects.  In the process they will learn a great deal about what it takes to build applications and digital user experiences that serve the domain of cultural heritage – skills such as programming, user experience design, media design, project management, user centered design, digital storytelling, etc.

The Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool is built soundly on the principle of “building as a way of knowing” (or “hacking as a way of knowing” as some call it). The idea is that students develop a far better understanding of cultural heritage informatics by actually building tools, applications, and digital user experiences than they do with passive analysis and commentary. The added benefit is that by building tools, applications, and digital user experiences, students also have the opportunity to make a tangible and potentially significant contribution to the cultural heritage community.

Eligibility & Application

The Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool is open to graduate students, undergraduates, and professionals within in the field. There are no prerequisites (beyond an interest in the topic).  Students from a wide variety of departments, programs, and disciplines are welcome.  Admission to the Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool is by application only.

To apply, please fill out the Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool Application Form (http://chi.matrix.msu.edu/fieldschool/chi-fieldschool-application/).  Applications are due no later than 5pm on March 14th. Students will be notified as to whether they have been accepted by March 25th.

For more information on the Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool, please see the detailed description (http://chi.matrix.msu.edu/fieldschool/) or email Ethan Watrall (watrall@msu.edu)