Teaching English Literature in Digital Age | UGC - HRDC | Mumbai University

 

Teaching English Literature in Digital Age | UGC - HRDC | Mumbai University | Nagpur University

Abstract:

In this video, a professor discusses the integration of digital technology in teaching English literature. The focus of the discussion is on the concept of "generative literature," which explores how machines can write and generate literature. The professor shares a link to a collection of poems written by humans and robots, and asks the audience to identify which ones are written by machines. The professor emphasizes the importance of exploring this area of digital humanities, and notes that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between human and machine-generated literature. The professor also highlights the idea of the mechanization and robotization of human beings. The audience response to the poems is divided, with some able to distinguish between human and machine-generated poems and others unable to do so.

Detailed Summary:

The video is a recording of a lecture on "Teaching English Literature in the Digital Age" conducted by UGC-HRDC and Mumbai University, which discusses the role of digital humanities in literature education. The speaker begins by acknowledging the huge gap between traditional teaching methods and the current digital age, but highlights the potential of digital integration in classrooms to enhance teaching and learning.

The lecture then focuses on the emerging field of digital humanities, which aims to explore how literature can be read and written in the digital age. The speaker recommends an article by Matthew Christian Bom on digital humanities and its place in English departments, and highlights the importance of digitizing literature and generating literature through technology.

To illustrate this point, the speaker introduces an activity where participants are asked to identify whether a poem is written by a human or a machine. The participants are provided with a link to a collection of poems written by humans and machines, and are asked to provide their responses in the chat. The lecture emphasizes the idea of "generative literature," which refers to the creation of literature by both humans and machines. The speaker poses the question of whether a computer can write poetry and suggests that this is an interesting area to explore in literature education.

The lecture concludes with the speaker discussing the potential implications of this topic, including the mechanization and robotization of human beings, and encourages further exploration of digital humanities in literature education. The speaker notes that despite the responses to the activity being divided among human and machine-generated poems, the importance lies in engaging students in innovative ways and encouraging critical thinking about the role of technology in literature education.

Video Recording