Teaching computational methods to researchers from non-STEM backgrounds, such as those working in humanities disciplines that have not historically incorporated digital methods, presents unique challenges. During this workshop, we are going to explore several pedagogical methods for training humanities researchers on digital research techniques. We will discuss and demo different training modalities, including hands-on live coding workshops, how-to guides to approach methods, and asynchronous online options. We will also explore ideas for good practice in supporting humanities researchers in incorporating computational techniques into their existing research. We will do this by exploring different training activities focusing on the same technique to see how to set learning environments to better engage with various audiences, and how to bridge the gap between computer science and humanities methodologies. The workshop will focus on text analysis techniques and will use Python.
Please familiarise yourself with the contents of this document.
All of the material will be accessed through Google Colab, so you will not need to complete any installations on your machine.
We will simulate three learning experiences using roleplay. The formats are as follows:
- Standard workshop: an instructor-led live coding tutorial in an introduction to the NLTK package in Python
- Digital Method of the Month: an open discussion about text mining as a method, including what it takes to get started, potential use cases, and resources for learning
- Silent Disco: an opportunity to receive real-time chat support while working through a written tutorial
You will be able to act as both an instructor/helper and an attendee. The various instructor roles will require different levels of engagement required. Therefore, if you do not feel comfortable speaking in front of a group, you might prefer to select a helper role or to volunteer as an instructor for one of the non-traditional workshop formats.
We have created four attendee profiles that reflect the backgrounds and experience levels of learners who enrol in our training workshops. Before we begin, you will receive an attendee profile that will inform your experience in each learning experience. Do your best to participate according to your assigned profile.
- 14:00-14:20 Introduction and setting up
- 14:20-14:30 Review attendees' materials and divide into groups
- 14:30-15:00 Workshop demo preparation (reviewing instructor's materials)
- 15:00-15:30 Demo standard workshop + feedback
- 15:30-15:45 Break
- 15:45-16:15 Demo DMM + feedback
- 16:15-16:45 Demo Silent Disco + feedback
- 16:45-17:00 Conclusion
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