The Role of the Scholarly Associations in Humanities Education

The use of computer-based resources and techniques in higher education in the humanities disciplines is growing rapidly. Scholarly associations such as ALLC and ACH have played and continue to play a part in this, although the main imperatives are, of course, much more broadly based.

This session aims to provide a forum for open discussion of the role or roles, formal and informal, that scholarly associations such as ALLC and ACH could and/or should have in the future development and practice of learning and teaching in higher education in the humanities, specifically with reference to the inclusion of advanced computing, both as part of the curriculum and of teaching methodology.

From an ALLC perspective, this question has an immediate and direct relevance. The ALLC has been formally a partner in the ACO*Hum Project, and indeed has played a leading role in it, with a number of members of the ALLC Committee serving on one of the main working groups of the project, concerned with 'Textual Scholarship and Humanities Computing'. ACO*Hum is a 'thematic network' funded by the European Union as part of its SOCRATES programme. It is now approaching the end of its funding, and discussions are in progress about what should happen next. The ALLC is taking an active part in these discussions, including at national and European Union level.

Members of the panel will report on the work of ACO*Hum and will give their perspectives on the future development of computing in humanities education. They will address specifically (but briefly) the questions surrounding what role(s), if any, should be played by scholarly associations such as ALLC and ACH. A number of possible roles have been suggested, from continuing support for initiatives and projects such as ACO*Hum through to a formal role in the validation or accreditation of courses and diplomas. Allen Renear will present North American and ACH perspectives on the issues raised.

The brief presentations by each of the panelists will be followed by open discussion in which all those attending will be invited to comment on what the panelists have had to say, or to raise any additional issues they believe to be relevant. From the ALLC perspective, the session is a significant opportunity for dialogue on a range of issues that are important to the associations, and on which the coming months will offer opportunities and the need for decisions. Viewed in a wider context, now is a critical time for fundamental thinking, and for initiatives to be taken unless the associations decide they have no role to play.