I think that there’s no harm in learning how to code, so humanities students should have the opportunity to learn how to code. It is a good skill to have but I feel like it shouldn’t be required across the board, since they are humanities students, not computer science students. This is especially true if a humanities student is in an area of study that would not utilize coding on a regular basis.
I haven’t taken a coding class at Carleton but I have learned how to use BASIC, although I do not remember much of it. Learning how to use HTML was relatively easy but I had a more difficult time with CSS. I couldn’t successfully figure out how to use an external CSS file so I opted to use inline styles and using the style tag within the HTML header tag instead. Once I got adjusted to using HTML and CSS, writing a code went pretty smoothly! It is pretty self explanatory but I feel like it’s quite time consuming, maybe because I am not fully familiar with it yet.
“…point out that not only could the two areas usefully benefit from one another, as per Kirschenbaum’s essay, but furthermore that in many ways the two are working on exactly the same projects and the very idea that they are, a priori, separate and distinct bodies of knowledge may be the king hobgoblin of any attempts to create something that professes to be a digital humanities situated somewhere between the two.”
Evan Donahue, “A “Hello World” Apart (why humanities students should NOT learn to program)“, May 28, 2010
I chose the quote above because I agree with it’s sentiment. The humanities can benefit from from using computer science techniques and methods and vice versa. Both fields could greatly benefit from working with each other by using the methodologies and mindsets unique to their area of study. That way the best of both worlds can be combined! Ideally that is how it would work out but it can not be forced on people, only encouraged. Below is an example of my code.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>hey hey it's sunniva</h1>
<pre>
<p style="color:red;">this took me a while to figure out...</p>
but once i got the hang of it, it's pretty <strong><em>fun</strong></em>!
</pre>
</body>
</html>
1 thought on “Blog – Week 3”
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Your perspective on including coding in humanities education is thoughtful. It resonates with the idea that while learning to code can be valuable, it shouldn’t be universally required for humanities students. I agree that the applicability of coding skills may vary based on the specific area of study within the humanities. It’s interesting to hear about your experience with BASIC and learning HTML. Your approach of using inline styles and the style tag within the HTML header reflects the adaptability and problem-solving mindset that coding often requires. It’s okay to find certain aspects time-consuming, especially when you’re still familiar with the language – the learning curve is part of the journey. The quote from Evan Donahue adds depth to the conversation, emphasizing the potential mutual benefits between humanities and computer science. The idea that the two fields are working on similar projects challenges the notion of their strict separation. Encouraging collaboration rather than imposing it seems like a practical approach, allowing the unique methodologies of each field to complement each other.