WHA Annual Meeting: Korea 2026

We propose a workshop session on integrating quantitative reasoning (QR) pedagogy – working with data, graphs, etc – into courses in ways that are aligned with historical inquiry. Historical data are often the only glimpses that survive of peoples’ lives and experiences, and connect scholars and descendants to the past (Jessica Marie Johnson, 2018). The pursuit of standardized data systems over time with the goal of interoperability is another form of global connection that spans and challenges political and cultural borders, making our work especially relevant for this year’s theme, “Closed Borders and Global Connections.”

Presenters Sharpe and Winton have collaborated on a substantial overhaul of Sharpe’s existing global unit on slavery which contrasts the 500-year nobi system in Korea with the transatlantic slave trade of Africans, focusing on Haiti and other French Caribbean sites. Students are introduced to quantitative data and databases in the context of historical research through a series of scaffolded activities including a group project using the longstanding Slave Voyages database.

The workshop will outline the pedagogical choices made to support student quantitative skills in historical analysis and facilitate opportunities for faculty to think through QR in their courses. As the instructor and an historian, Sharpe will describe her course and connections with history and digital humanities pedagogies. While QR is a common curricular goal across US higher education, many schools do not have dedicated staff to help humanities faculty incorporate QR into the curriculum. As a QR program director and biologist by training, Winton will help faculty consider how they can adapt this work to their courses and institutional contexts. Sharpe and Winton are both experienced faculty developers; by presenting together, they embody the collaborative relationship between faculty and staff, across disciplinary training, to help faculty reach the goals they have for their courses.