Table of Contents

What you will learn

• GeoSpatial Data Basics using the sf package in R
• Making Maps in R using packages such as tmap, plotly
• Use GIS data sources such as Natural Earth, and Open Street Maps
• Make your own GIS data using apps like Vespucci
• Visualize Street Observations using Ushahidi
• Understanding basics of Network Science
• Understand the Form and Structure of Network Data
• Making Network Plots using tidygraph and ggraph
• Combining code-made and hand-made mural-maps with electronics such as Makey-Makey to create new experiences

and if time permits:

• Combining Maps and Networks in R using the sfnetworks package
• Creating and Visualizing Networks using tools like keplerGL

Abstract

This Unit takes students along a beginner’s journey into Digital Humanities. Data, maps, networks that connect individuals and nations, and networks on maps are the main ideas of this Unit. Maps and Networks from Domains such as History, Urban Development, and Literature are examined from a “Human Experience” point of view. Spatial and Temporal patterns on these real-world and imaginary landscapes are detected and correlated with our own experience and understanding.

Data Structures that help create such visuals will be examined in detail. Spatial, Network, and Spatial-Network datasets shall be examined in the R language and shall be plotted in various ways, appreciating the underlying quantitative and qualitative attributes, and how these can be used to create a complex experience on the visualizations. Other experiences shall also be created using apps such as Google Literary Maps, Ushahidi, and Open Street Maps/Vespucci.

Absorbing Sensor/ Contact data from the environment and using that data input to create experiences using Make-Makey or Arduino is part of the classroom experience.

The Unit will culminate in a group project : A hand-made Literary Map of a popular fictional tale that one can walk into, depicting the events and emotions likely felt by the lead character and encoding these into cartographic terrain and other networked experiences using materials, shapes, and colour.