Although coding is not a “must” for humanities students, I personally think they should learn that skill.
why it was, in fact, a kind of world-making, requiring one to specify the behaviors of an object or a system from the ground up; why and how such an activity was connected to the long traditions of humanistic thought I encountered in the classes devoted to my major.
Hello Worlds (why humanities students should learn to program)
May 23, 2010 at 9:34 PM · Matthew Kirschenbaum
First, coding would help humanities gain a valuable under-pressure problem-solving skillset, which could not be better in any better way than how to code. Doing a 100-page reading may be useful for the specific topic, but the learner often struggles to get the structure of the entire thing, thus not gaining much logic (unless they are a philosophy student); meanwhile for a coding learner, they start from the basic grammars and structures, then to the advanced structure of an entire website or server, everything is within comprehension. And when problems arise, coders need that one suitable solution, different from the hundreds of vague explanations made by historians. With this improved mindset of learning, humanities students undoubtedly gain a sharper understanding of problems, leading to more precise theories.
Second, it is a vital skill that increases employability. While I’m not making the assertation that humanity majors cannot make a fair amount of money and they should become software programmers, but it is obvious that most modern jobs require some knowledge with the computer, even within the humanities field. Humanities majors might work at a museum or library, and digital archival skills would be valuable or even essential; they might become history professors, but it makes much more sense to visualize historical events on maps or to design a detailed personal website.
Sure, coding might prove to be difficult for some, and cooperation with programmers would be an excellent choice to complement that; but it does not hurt to be that programmer yourself. If programming really is out of reach, simply quit and go back to the “normal” humanities route, but if you do succeed in learning the basics, then you might have found just another joy of your life.
My previous coding experience, for instance, include web design and basic python. I have made a simple lunar lander game for the CS intro class, and it could easily be adapted to a game that pictures historical travel events, such as mapping the American civil war.
<pre>
class LunarLander:
#trickiest:all landers are assigned the following velocity, altitude, and fuel
def __init__(self):
self.velocity = 40
self.altitude = 1000
self.fuel = 25
def getVelocity(self):
return self.velocity
def getAltitude(self):
return self.altitude
def getFuel(self):
return self.fuel
#This main method creates a LunarLander object and then prints out the instance variables assigned to it
def main():
lander = LunarLander()
print(“velocity is”, lander.getVelocity(), “altitude is”, lander.getAltitude(), “fuel is”, lander.getFuel())
if __name__ == “__main__”:
main()
import lunarlander
def testAltitude():
lander = lunarlander.LunarLander()
assert 1000 == lander.getAltitude()
def testVelocity():
lander = lunarlander.LunarLander()
assert 40 == lander.getVelocity()
def testFuel():
lander = lunarlander.LunarLander()
assert 25 == lander.getFuel()
</pre>
7 thoughts on “Humanities students should learn to code.”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I really like that quote from Kirschenbaum! It makes a good point that the creative and human elements of producing code aren’t that different from other human outputs that humanists have traditionally studied. The divide is mostly superficial. I do disagree though that humanities students need coding in order to learn to problem solve. I think that stance disregards a lot of creative problem-solving that is involved in working through human-centered problems. Either way, I agree that learning some code can’t hurt.
I really like the point you make about how having the ability to code does make a candidate more employable. Having the ability to code, even at a novice level, makes you a much more versatile candidate for a position compared to someone who has never done coding. Though you can still be an amazing candidate without any coding background, it certainly will not hurt to have. There is a reason why we are studying digital humanities and that is simply because technology is growing in this day and age.
I think your argument is worded very well and makes a lot of sense to me. One counterpoint that I would add is to your second point, that coding is a vital skill that increases employability. While I fully agree with that statement, I think it is important to acknowledge that, although it is rare in this society that revolves around making lots of money, some people would probably prefer to work at a job they enjoy without needing to code rather than have to learn to code just to make more money.
I agree with what you said about the importance of coding for humanities students. I personally didn’t include the point about employability in my initial blog post, but I like what you said in yours. I think that it emphasizes the importance of learning to code. While I think that learning to code can actually aid in communication between specialists, your point about it also allowing humanities students to keep up in the job market is very valuable.
While I see where you are coming from in your argument, I do not know if I agree that humanities students do not learn to problem solve or learn ways to create more precise theories in their classes, and need things like computer science to assist that. Problem solving is often done in research, starting with a question then finding sources to attempt to answer it, and the ways to come to more precise theories is mostly the same, doing the amount of background research necessary to ensure that your argument is clear.
I like the quote you selected, and I think it is very supportive of your argument. I totally agree with you that programming would help students to gain problem-solving skills, and I had similar arguments as you in my post. I mentioned how programming could reduce the workload for humanities students and provide them with a new perspective on solving problems. I didn’t think of the part about employability though. I think it is a really good point.
You make some great points! I was interested in what you say toward the beginning about humanities students not understanding the basics, or ‘how it’s made’, while “for a coding learner, they start from the basic grammars and structures, then to the advanced structure of an entire website or server, everything is within comprehension.” Your phrasing reminded me of the tenets of classical education, which in every subject moves from “grammar” — basic, structural rules — to logic, and ultimately to rhetoric, when a student becomes a teacher and critic of the structures. That’s (supposed to be) the foundation of humanistic study.