CS+X: Computer Science and Humanities - Petra Dierkes-Thrun and Sebastian Thrun

TL;DR

Stanford University has introduced a new program called CS plus X that aims to foster interdisciplinary education by bringing humanities and computer science together.

Transcript

Stanford University it's a pleasure to address you as the last speakers today with my wonderful wife Farah Dagestan she teaches comparative literature on English I teach and used to teach computer science and more than once at dinner table we ask the question is there life between these two separate disciplines humanities and engineering or we doom... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌉 CS plus X is a program at Stanford University that aims to bridge the gap between humanities and computer science.
• 🥰 Social media can be used as a tool to engage people in the love of literature and literary studies.
• 🤔 Collaborative projects can emerge from interdisciplinary classes, combining elements of computer science, literature, and design thinking.
• 🌐 The global reach of social media allows for interactions and collaborations with participants from around the world.
• 👶 The integration of technology with literature can offer new and transformative experiences for readers.
• 🏃 The roleplay exercise in the class sparked creativity, critical thinking, and analysis of literary works.
• 👶 The collaboration between humanities and computer science can create a new type of engineer and humanist who values imagination and human experience.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the goal of the project class at Stanford University?

The goal of the project class was to bring together humanities and computer science students and explore how social media can be used to engage people in literature.

Q: How did students in the class engage with literature through social media?

Students participated in a Twitter roleplay, where they tweeted in character for 24 hours using a designated hashtag. They engaged with characters from novels, such as Dorian Gray, and even had interactions with participants from other countries.

Q: What were some unexpected outcomes of the Twitter roleplay?

Participants from around the world started joining the conversation and even tried to change the assignment by introducing characters from other novels. Teachers also assigned the roleplay to their classes, creating a network of collaboration and spawning new assignments.

Q: What were some projects that emerged from the CS plus X class?

Students created projects such as a collaborative fanfiction website for rewriting Pride and Prejudice, a virtual reality experience for a poem, a website for comparing multiple translations of a work, and a dating app-like experience with great philosopher texts.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Stanford University created a project class to bring humanities and computer science closer together through a joint major program called CS plus X.

• The class explored how social media and social networks can engage people in the love of literature and literary studies.

• Students in the class used Twitter roleplay to engage with characters from well-known novels, sparking discussions and collaborations with participants from around the world.