ABSTRACT
With near ubiquitous Internet access and the explosion of information available digitally, the time is ripe for a convergence between the Digital Humanities and e-Learning. In higher education, enrollment in distance courses continues to increase. Online education can be a great equalizer, allowing students who are confronted with barriers in achieving a campus-based education an opportunity to earn a college degree in a convenient context. Rather than running of the risk of being left behind, institutions around the world are racing to provide distance education opportunities in all subjects, including the humanities. However, there remains much skepticism about the quality of instruction and the educational experience that students receive. Can an online education be “just as good” as a face-to-face education? How can students develop the professional identity of a Digital Humanist in the e-Learning context? To address these critical issues, this chapter will provide a survey of research and best practices relating to online pedagogies and professional identity development that are grounded in educational theory.
