Emergent Course Design: Building Social Networks Through the Digital Classroom

Who would Thomas Jefferson have included in his “friends” list? What technologies did he use to stay in touch? This presentation will share how faculty and staff at the Virginia Center for Digital History are facilitating inquiry, collaboration, and innovation through the study of Thomas Jefferson's travels. The course, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, partners students with museum archivists and content specialists on project teams, helping build networks beyond the academy. As a result, students become stakeholders, the syllabus turns into an ever-changing document, and final presentations take on second lives as digital portfolios.