Conference Plugs Technology into the Humanities
 

Technology and the humanities are topics rarely listed side by side, but this spring they formed the core of an unusual conference hosted at Ithaca College. The Conference on Technology in the Humanities offered participants an opportunity to present new ideas on technological practice in the humanities while discussing the broader issue of technology's impact on teaching and research.

Sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation and the School of Humanities and Sciences the conference was aimed at a broad audience of educators, administrators, technology professionals, and business people. The three-day conference was planned around multiple sessions featuring the presentation of 40 papers. Topics ranged from the perception of text written for the screen to the collaborative uses of technology in humanities research.

"The individual topics are quite interesting, but I think what's remarkable is that a conference like this would happen at all," said Gary Wells, associate professor of art history and conference coordinator. "People don't think of humanities and technology in the same context. It's wonderful to see how technology can impact these disciplines."

Wells said that he was particularly interested in technology's impact on academic collaboration, among students and their teachers, and among scholars themselves.

"The humanities are built around a culture of the solitary scholar," he said. "The notion that technology allows a new type of collaboration is very exciting. It makes you look at the discipline in a new way when you realize how technology can be applied."

The conference is the most recent step in a multiyear effort by the School of Humanities and Sciences to enhance the understanding of technology in a humanities context and expand the implementation of technological initiatives in humanities programs. This long-term effort, also funded by the Hewlett Foundation, has been aided by input from Ithaca's Schools of Business and Communications. This spring's conference allowed participants in that process to meet like-minded colleagues from other campuses while communicating Ithaca's leadership in the field.

"It's grown into an exciting program," Wells said. "It's great to bring people to campus and show them what we're all about." HS