2016 Chapters (Layout Features)

Critical Computing in the Humanities

Polefrone, Phillip R.; Simpson, John; Tenen, Dennis

Our aim in this chapter is to reveal some of the core principles motivating the teaching of computing fundamentals in the humanities context. We divide the text into three sections. "Critical Computing in the Humanities" describes the ideas behind our approach to computation, which is premised on extending rather than replacing long-standing critical practices of humanistic inquiry. In the second section, "Digital Humanities Core," these ideas lead us to a list of core skills for the practicing digital humanist. Here, we outline several necessary prerequisites needed to advance the great variety of work in the field. We conclude with a section that details the "Three Locations of Computing," which orient the reader to three significant sites of computation: the command line, the text editor, and the programming language interpreter. Short exercises introduce the reader to the possibilities for teaching and research at each site.