Engaged research-led teaching: composing collective inquiry with digital methods and data

Written by:
Jonathan Gray, King’s College London, London, UK
Liliana Bounegru, King’s College London, London, UK
Richard Rogers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tommaso Venturini, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Donato Ricci, Sciences Po, Paris, France
Axel Meunier, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
Michele Mauri, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
Sabine Niederer, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Natalia Sánchez Querubín, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Marc Tuters, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Lucy Kimbell, University of the Arts London, London, UK
Anders Kristian Munk, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract: This article examines the organisation of collaborative digital methods and data projects in the context of engaged research-led teaching in the humanities. Drawing on interviews, field notes, projects and practices from across eight research groups associated with the Public Data Lab (publicdatalab.org), it provides considerations for those interested in undertaking such projects, organised around four areas: composing (1) problems and questions; (2) collectives of inquiry; (3) learning devices and infrastructures; and (4) vernacular, boundary and experimental outputs. Informed by constructivist approaches to learning and pragmatist approaches to collective inquiry, these considerations aim to support teaching and learning through digital projects which surface and reflect on the questions, problems, formats, data, methods, materials and means through which they are produced.

Keywords: engaged research-led teaching, engaged teaching, digital methods, data studies, infrastructure studies, data journalism, science and technology studies, Internet studies.