Module description
This module will teach students the basic structures and syntax of a common programming/scripting language Python. Programming is at the heart of the human control of the digital world; through the use of programming and scripting languages, we can gather, manipulate and share data, create new applications and extend the existing ones. Further, learning the logic, possibilities and limitations of programmatic structures allows us to better appreciate and understand the technology within the greater digital world.
Active engagement with data gives the researcher a unique appreciation of that data and the meaning encapsulated within it. As the amount of data increases, the methods of interaction, analysis and management become increasingly computational. This module aims to introduce students to the fundamental programmatic methods applicable in writing their own scripts for various tasks of data analysis as well as for bridging the gap between the existing tools.
Python was selected as the introductory language as it is widely used in Digital Culture research and offers a comprehensive suite of data analytics libraries. This module focuses on the project-oriented uses of Python to equip students with strong transferable skills that they will be able to extend into the areas outside academia.
Assessment details
Coursework - Continuous assessment (20%) + Individual project (80%)
Educational aims & objectives
This module will teach students the basic structures and syntax of a common programming/scripting language, Python. Programming is at the heart of the human control of the digital world; through the use of programming and scripting languages, we can manipulate and gather data, create new applications and extend existing ones. Further, learning the logic, possibilities and limitations of programmatic structures allows us to better appreciate and understand the technology within the greater digital world.
Active engagement with data gives the researcher a unique appreciation of that data and the meaning encapsulated within it. As the amount of data that a researcher must deal with increases the methods of interaction, analysis and management become increasingly computational. This module aims to introduce students to the fundamental methods needed to design and build their own programs and allow them to further their understanding as a tool maker in addition to a tool user.
Python was selected as the introductory language as it is widely used in Digital Culture research and offers a comprehensive suite of data analytic libraries. Further it is one of the main components of the Django framework which is a popular tool for interactive website development. In the future the choice of language may need to be revised, but in the current digital ecosystem, Python represents the most appropriate language to introduce Digital Culture students to programming and offers a strong transferable skill.
This module will further the aims of the overall program by familiarizing the students with the underlying mechanisms through with the digital world is created and the fundamentals of the skills needed to create their own applications to support more applied data collection and processing which they can use to enhance their learning in subsequent modules.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, students will be expected to:
- have a systematic understanding of how to run and create a Python program;
- identify and analyse a problem and select the appropriate programmatic methods to solve that problem;
- harvest data from the web by using Python's standard and third-party libraries;
- analyse and visualise the harvested data by using Python's standard and third-party libraries.