An Unnamed Intersection: Where Computing Meets Liberal Arts

Abstract

We can all agree that undergraduates are digitally savvy. They are constantly connected to newly developed technologies and are early adopters of new forms of digital communication. That, though, does not mean they understand how and why these tools work. They lack the understanding of how computing has changed the way we communicate and how it has impacted the tools we use every day. It seems appropriate that this type of education find its way into a liberal arts education. But what do we call it? If computing is about algorithmic thinking and using code to develop programs, then how do we define the type of work going on in our liberal arts classrooms? Have we developed a new area of coursework where the liberal arts and computing intersect that is crucial for undergraduates to possess as they enter the workforce? To help find natural intersections in the disciplines, a group of faculty with support from key administrators at Keuka College, a liberal arts college in the Western New York Finger Lakes region, have developed a campus-wide initiative called Digital Learning @ Keuka College (DL@KC). The initiative, which launched in 2013, includes a minor in Digital Studies, which focus on preparing young people to develop a wider set of digital literacy skills to ensure they can understand, analyze, and evaluate the messages they encounter daily and effectively utilize digital tools to design and distribute their own messages in the classroom and, ultimately, in the workplace.