Traces the evolution of the author's course on Computers in the Humanities from the late 1960s to the present. Suggests new frontiers in computing that will be relevant to humanities education. Concludes that all students need access and orientation to computer possibilities including algorithmic experience, word processing abilities, and database…

Discusses the second session of a Vassar College workshop on computers and the humanities which focused on how to teach computing to humanists. Arguing for a holistic approach, the author outlines the material to be taught and how to teach it. Emphasizes ample hands-on training, and instruction in general computer principles not the specifics of…

Discusses a Vassar College workshop and the debate it generated over the depth and breadth of computer knowledge needed by humanities students. Describes two positions: the "Holistic View," which emphasizes the understanding of the formal methods of computer implementation; and the "Expert Users View," which sees the humanist…

Considers arguments opposed to and in favor of developing computer education courses for humanities students. Argues that computers, as a major part of our culture, need to be understood by every student and concludes that computer instruction must become a standard part of the humanities curriculum. (GEA)

Although most segments of the American workforce now recognize that computers can reduce the drudgery of repetitive tasks and lighten the burden of information exchange, storage, and retrieval, some people, especially many humanists, social scientists, and other non-technically oriented professionals, remain hesitant to step into the computer age.…

Education courses in BASIC remain a foundation of teacher training for computer use. Such courses do little more than re-invent programming structures that are already available in such educational programming languages (EPLs) as PILOT and TEACH. While BASIC is the only general programming language that is both simple and powerful enough to enable…

Discusses applications of microcomputers to: (1) presentation of the content of humanities courses, especially computer assisted instruction and simulation programs; and (2) science, technology and society courses to reinforce points about limitations and appropriate uses of computers. Examples of computer programs used to facilitate these…

The information age requires flexibility rather than technical specialization and therefore liberal arts education should be more in demand. Humanities vs. technology, and ethical implications are discussed. The most important response of the liberal arts college is that of planning. (MLW)

Describes a survey that compared search behaviors of humanities and social sciences researchers to those of researchers in science and technology. The factors discussed include frequency of use of online databases; personal searches versus intermediaries; and attitudes toward, interest in, knowledge about, and access to online database searching.…

Investigates the perception that humanists are not as enamored with technology as their peers in other disciplines. Uses focus-group interviews with humanities faculty at an east coast university to examine their access to technology, technological skill and interest, concerns about digitized texts and art works, views on the digital library of…

Issues in teaching students who are neither mathematiaclly nor scientifically oriented to apply computers to their intellectual and creative pursuits are described. Suggestions are made for designing an introductory computer literacy course. (MSE)

Describes a computing course which emphasizes practical applications of computers in the various disciplines of the humanities and social sciences; provides details of the course and its objectives; and presents recommendations based on experiences in offering the course for several years for professors wishing to institute such a course. (MBR)

Reviews results of a survey by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) of 3,835 scholars in the humanities and social sciences who are working both in colleges and universities and outside the academic community. Areas highlighted include professional reading, authorship patterns, computer use, and library use. (LRW)

This paper traces an educator's experiences with computers over a span of 20 years, and describes the computerization of and concomitant obstacles faced by the Humanities department at the American University in Cairo, Egypt (AUC). The computerization of AUC began in the 1980s, with workstations mainly in the science, math, engineering, and…

This book presents a collection of best practices in using instructional technology from 42 college campuses. In 93 brief, informal, and practical vignettes, professors show how they transformed courses with technology, discuss how the technology affects teaching and learning, and distill important lessons learned. The book is divided into two…