From 11-13 of September 2019, the University of Liège hosted the 6th Digital Humanities Benelux Conference in Liège, Belgium. The aim of this annual conference is to encourage collaboration within the field of Digital Humanities between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Scholars were invited to present their latest projects and research findings. This included prof. Susan Schreibman and assistant prof. Costas Papadopoulos from Maastricht University, who presented the IGNITE curriculum and how it is used in teaching at the MA level.
On Friday, the third day of the conference, Susan Schreibman and Costas Papadopoulos held a session called Design Thinking & Maker Culture: Digital Humanities Meets the Creative Industries The IGNITE Curriculum. In their presentation, Costas and Susan explained the rationale behind the development of the IGNITE curriculum, from learning to build VR experiences to better understanding digital narratives, gameplay design, and the practicalities of creating digital products. A pedagogic principle of the courses is project and problem-based learning, featuring case studies and scenarios. As a result, instead of promoting static learning, the digital learning environment reflects the pedagogical approach of encouraging reflective learning via digital tools and methods.
The presentation was well-received by the audience. Remarks included comparisons to similar initiatives, questions about the practicalities of the project’s implementation, and reflections on the content of the IGNITE curriculum.