Coding For The Future

I’ve been using computers all my life, yet I never once thought about how every computer application came to look and work the way it did. Every Internet game and word document that made up my childhood involved complicated systems of coding. Last spring, I took a linguistics course that touched upon the basics of coding and language. However, we never learned how to actually code so it was exciting to finally learn with Codeacademy (https://www.codecademy.com/en/tracks/web). Professor Matthew Kirschenbaum once said, “those models are made of words and symbols which, by their nature, can be intimidating.” Fortunately, Codeacademy was very clear and efficient with its directions. They made a system that appears extremely complicated very straightforward. I think every humanities student should study coding, for one because the learning process isn’t nearly as arduous as one might expect it to be, among other reasons.

“Learn to program whenever it is convenient, but start thinking about the computer sciences as relevant areas of concern right now” (Donahue). We are currently living in the midst of the technological revolution. The number of IT related jobs available in the world has skyrocketed since the turn of the 21^st century. Thus, learning how to code proficiently can only increase your potential job options. Coding is also beneficial to younger students who aren’t yet thinking about future occupations. Being able to code opens up new windows for creative expression. With a site such as Codeacademy, the student can start from scratch and creative anything they wish to. Coding has also been seen to attract the attention of young, disinterested learners. It engages students who struggle to motivate themselves in primary classes, and can improve a student’s basic literacy skills. Kirschenbaum took this notion one step further with this claim: “I believe proficiency in a computer language can fulfill many of the same functions — accessibility, self-reliance, heightened critical awareness — as knowledge of a traditional foreign language” (Kirschenbaum). Lastly, the initial process of learning can be beneficial, especially to younger students, as during this process they may develop important logic and problem solving skills.

With all these advantages to learning how to code, I see no reasons to why humanities students would refrain from learning this valuable ability of the future. The benefits surely outweigh the cons. There is only room to gain with coding, so why not?

Here are two links that summarize some of the points in my post:

http://www.connectionsacademy.com/blog/posts/2014-12-04/Why-Learning-to-Code-Benefits-Kids-Regardless-of-Future-Career-Choice.aspx

http://www.wise-qatar.org/coding-cognitive-abilities-michael-trucano