As the Instructional Designer for DHRI@SMU, I created an immersive, community-driven learning experience for humanities scholars to develop technical competencies for research and teaching. The multi-day institute serves graduate students, professional support staff, and faculty with foundational technical skills.
Design Philosophy
The design draws from Situated Learning within a Community of Practice, fostering participant growth through collaboration. The curriculum employs 4 Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) methodology and uses platforms including:
- GitHub
- Jupyter Notebooks
- Slack
- Zoom
A Foundation, Not a Bootcamp
Unlike traditional bootcamp workshops, DHRI@SMU emphasizes a foundation-based approach to technical skill development, scaffolding learning to build coherent mental models. This approach produces self-sufficient participants better equipped to teach themselves and others, establishing shared vocabulary and skill sets for future collaborations.