Tri-Co Digital Scholarship Research Institute

The TriCo DS Working group will be hosting our annual Digital Scholarship Research Institute on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at Swarthmore College in the McCabe Library Lib Lab (104). Workshops and events will be held 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.  Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be catered, including a beer and wine reception with hors d'oeuvres. DSRI is an all-day intensive institute for Tri-Co faculty and staff to explore interdisciplinary digital scholarship research and teaching methods through hands-on workshops and guided practice. We welcome both faculty and staff new to digital scholarship and those interested in taking their skills to the next level. You can expect to gain experience with key digital scholarship tools and methods for digital publishing and working with data, while also learning about local digital scholarship communities and support. This year we will be offering two new workshops: Thinking Spatially, and Games for Pedagogy and Research (see below for descriptions). 

Because an essential aspect of the DSRI is building community among Tri-Co faculty and staff members interested in digital scholarship, we encourage participants to commit to attending the full day of workshops and events. Space is limited, so please register by April 17th using the DSRI 2026 Registration Form. If you have any questions about the Institute or registration process, please contact Amanda Licastro (alicast1@swarthmore.edu). 

Workshop descriptions:

Games for Pedagogy and Research

Games can be powerful tools to enhance your teaching and research. In this session we will explore the hows and whys of game-based learning, guided by real-world examples. We will introduce core principles of game design and best practices to craft meaningful game experiences for students, showcasing a variety of game-building tools. Our hands-on component will focus on building and publishing games with Twine, a free, open-source tool for creating text-based games and hypertext narratives: you will learn how to approach a game project from concept to creation.

Thinking Spatially

Have you ever wondered how you can design digital maps for class projects or showcasing research data? This session will teach you how to tell stories with mapping tools, with a focus on critical analysis of maps and designing accessible digital projects. Session leaders will cover a range of mapping softwares from ArcGIS/ESRI, as well as discussing how to ‘think spatially’ about data across the disciplines. You will have a chance to practice using these tools in class, ranging from easy-to-use templates for those new to mapping, to more advanced mapping tools to visualize complex research data.