WRIT 20833 — When Coding Meets Culture (Fall 2025)

Course materials for Introduction to Coding in the Humanities including interactive Jupyter notebooks, web-based lectures, and supporting resources. Students explore how computational analysis meets cultural interpretation, developing data-driven opinions through hands-on text analysis projects.

📚 Course Materials

🎯 Quick Access for Students

• Course Website: https://tcu-dcda.github.io/WRIT20833-2025/
• Homework Assignments: notebooks/homework/
• CodeAlong Tutorials: notebooks/codeAlongs/
• Course Lectures: docs/lectures/

�📓 Notebooks (11 total)

• CodeAlongs: Interactive coding sessions covering Python fundamentals, data analysis, and text analysis
  • Python basics: Variables, Data Types, String Methods, Conditionals, Loops, Dictionaries, Functions
  • Data analysis: Pandas fundamentals and data cleaning
  • Text analysis: Ethical data collection, sentiment analysis with VADER
• Exercises: In-class practice activities and skill-building exercises
• Tutorial assignments: Interactive coding exercises paired with mini-lectures (ready for textbook integration)
• Homework assignments: Structured assignments including term frequency and sentiment analysis

🎓 Lectures (14 HTML presentations)

• Main lectures: "When Coding Meets Culture" - foundational digital humanities introduction
• Mini-lecture series: Critical frameworks connecting coding to cultural analysis (13 lectures) 0. Humanities & Coding
  1. Connotations & Code
  2. Boundaries (taboos → digital privacy)
  3. Classification Logic (sacred categories → digital classification)
  4. AI Agency (power and pseudo-agency in AI tools)
  5. Collective Memory (how code remembers what communities forget)
  6. Data Archaeology
  7. NLP & Topic Modeling
  8. Code as Rhetoric
  9. Public Arguments
  10. GitHub Infrastructure
  11. HTML as Structure
  12. CSS as Rhetoric
• Supporting materials: Curated reading lists, outlines, and academic resources

🖼️ Visual Assets (100+ images)

• Lecture graphics: Custom illustrations and diagrams across 13 mini-lectures
• Conceptual imagery: AI-generated and curated visuals
• Reference materials: Screenshots and external resources

🌐 Web Development Materials

• HTML/CSS Workshop: Comprehensive in-class code-along for semantic HTML and CSS fundamentals
  • docs/html_training/semantic_html_css_workshop.md - Markdown source
  • docs/html_training/semantic_html_css_workshop.html - Styled browser version
• Web Portfolio Homework Series: Progressive assignments building student project sites
  • homework_md/WRIT20833_HW6_HTML_Portfolio_Structure.md
  • homework_md/WRIT20833_HW7_CSS_Portfolio_Styling.md
  • homework_md/WRIT20833_HW8_Portfolio_Deployment.md
• Editing Digital Essay Guide: docs/html_training/editing-portfolio.html - Comprehensive guide for customizing the digital essay portfolio
• Final Project Requirements: docs/WRIT20833_Final_Project_Requirements.html

🗂️ Directory Structure

WRIT20833-2025/
├── docs/
│   ├── index.html                  # Main course website (GitHub Pages)
│   ├── WRIT20833_Final_Project_Requirements.md
│   ├── WRIT20833_HW5_Final_Project_Proposal.html
│   └── lectures/                   # Web-accessible lectures for GitHub Pages
│       ├── main/
│       │   ├── lecture1.html       # "When Coding Meets Culture" presentation
│       │   ├── lecture1-style.css  # Professional presentation styling
│       │   └── images/             # Lecture-specific images (22 files)
│       └── mini-lectures/
│           ├── index.html          # Mini-lecture series overview
│           ├── lecture_outlines_clarified.txt  # Detailed pedagogical notes
│           ├── suggested-readings.md # Curated academic reading list
│           ├── shared-style.css    # Consistent styling across all lectures
│           ├── images/             # Shared visual assets (50+ files)
│           └── lecture-0/ through lecture-12/
│               ├── index.html      # Individual lecture presentations (13 total)
│               └── images/         # Lecture-specific visual resources
├── notebooks/
│   ├── codeAlongs/                 # Ready for textbook Chapters 3-4, 7-8
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Variables_DataTypes_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_StrMethods_Conditionals_Loops_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Lists_Loops_Complete_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Dictionaries_Functions_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Pandas_01_Found_Data_Fundamentals_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Pandas_02_Data_Cleaning_Analysis_Pandas_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_Instant_Data_Scraper_Ethics_F25.ipynb
│   │   ├── WRIT20833_VADER_Sentiment_Analysis_F25.ipynb
│   │   └── WRIT20833_Topic_Modeling_Gensim_F25.ipynb
│   ├── exercises/
│   │   └── WRIT20833_Conditionals_9-5-25.ipynb
│   ├── tutorials/                  # Critical framework integration examples
│   │   ├── Tutorial_01_Digital_Boundaries_MiniLecture1.ipynb
│   │   ├── Tutorial_02_Classification_Logic_MiniLecture2.ipynb
│   │   ├── Tutorial_03_AI_Agency_MiniLecture3.ipynb
│   │   └── Tutorial_04_Collective_Memory_MiniLecture4.ipynb
│   └── homework/                   # Complete learning arc: assumptions → data → insights
│       ├── WRIT20833_HW1_Fall2025.ipynb
│       ├── WRIT20833_HW4-1_Term_Frequency_Sentiment_F25.ipynb
│       ├── WRIT20833_HW4-2_Topic_Modeling_Integration_F25.ipynb
│       └── WRIT20833_HW5_Final_Project_Proposal.md
├── docs/                           # GitHub Pages published content
│   ├── index.html                  # Main course website
│   ├── WRIT20833_Final_Project_Requirements.html
│   ├── WRIT20833_HW5_Final_Project_Proposal.html
│   ├── html_training/              # Web development workshop materials
│   │   ├── semantic_html_css_workshop.md
│   │   └── semantic_html_css_workshop.html
│   └── lectures/                   # HTML presentation slides
├── homework_md/                    # Markdown source files for homework assignments
│   ├── WRIT20833_HW5_Final_Project_Proposal.md
│   ├── WRIT20833_HW6_HTML_Portfolio_Structure.md
│   ├── WRIT20833_HW7_CSS_Portfolio_Styling.md
│   └── WRIT20833_HW8_Portfolio_Deployment.md
├── datasets/                       # Cultural data for analysis projects
└── _development/                   # Course and textbook development materials

🚀 Getting Started

For Students

• All notebooks configured for Google Colab - just click and run!
• Complete course website at https://tcu-dcda.github.io/WRIT20833-2025/
• Final Project workflow: Proposal → Requirements → Portfolio
• Direct access to all materials through organized directory structure

For Instructors & Collaborators

• Complete course materials ready for classroom use
• Modular organization for easy adaptation and updates
• Development materials available in _development/ directory

📋 Course & Textbook Vision

Current Course Theme: "When Coding Meets Culture: Developing Data-Driven Opinions" (Fall 2025)

The course explores what happens when computational analysis meets cultural interpretation, guiding students from initial assumptions to well-grounded, data-driven opinions through:

1. Digital Boundaries: Exploring the intersection of technology and society
2. Classification Logic: Understanding data categorization and algorithmic thinking
3. AI Agency: Examining artificial intelligence and human interaction
4. Collective Memory: Investigating digital memory and cultural preservation

Complete Learning Arc: Students progress from predictions → computational analysis → data-driven insights → public portfolio presentation, discovering how "being wrong" about initial assumptions leads to genuine learning and more sophisticated cultural understanding.

Course Structure

Target Audience: Complete coding beginners in humanities
16-Week Progression:

• Weeks 1-4: Python Foundations (variables, loops, functions)
• Weeks 5-8: Text Analysis & Cultural Data (pandas, sentiment analysis, topic modeling)
• Weeks 9-12: Web Development & Portfolio Creation (HTML/CSS workshop, HW6-HW8, GitHub Pages)
• Weeks 13-16: Final Projects & Public Presentation

Pedagogical Philosophy: Integrates critical thinking about technology's cultural implications throughout technical instruction, helping students develop both computational skills and cultural analysis capabilities.

🎯 Final Project: When Coding Meets Culture

Complete Learning Arc (HW4-1 → HW4-2 → HW5)

Students experience the full journey from assumptions to data-driven opinions:

1. HW4-1: Term frequency analysis and sentiment analysis with initial predictions
2. HW4-2: Topic modeling integration and reflection on "being wrong" as learning
3. HW5: Final project proposal → requirements → public portfolio presentation

Project Structure

• Proposal Stage (homework_md/WRIT20833_HW5_Final_Project_Proposal.md): 8-point proposal building on HW4 insights
• Requirements Document (docs/WRIT20833_Final_Project_Requirements.html): Complete project specifications with ungrading philosophy
• Web Portfolio Development (homework_md/HW6-HW8): Progressive assignments from HTML structure → CSS styling → GitHub Pages deployment
• Three Deliverables: Research essay + Python notebooks + Web portfolio (HTML/CSS)

Assessment Philosophy

Prioritizes earned insight over clean code, emphasizing:

• Evolution of thinking from initial predictions through final, data-driven opinions
• Integration of technical analysis with humanistic interpretation
• Critical assessment of both results and analytical tools
• "Being wrong" in predictions as evidence of genuine learning

🛠️ Technical Notes

• Notebooks: Jupyter format, Python-based, Colab-ready
• Lectures: HTML5 presentations with CSS3 styling and responsive design
• Web Development: Semantic HTML5, modern CSS (flexbox, custom properties), GitHub Pages deployment
• Images: Optimized web formats (PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG)
• Structure: Modular organization for easy maintenance and updates

📅 Course Information

Course: WRIT 20833 - Introduction to Coding in the Humanities
Institution: Texas Christian University
Semester: Fall 2025
Instructor: [Your name]

Course Website: https://tcu-dcda.github.io/WRIT20833-2025/
Repository: https://github.com/TCU-DCDA/WRIT20833-2025

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🔄 Recent Updates

November 20, 2025 - Site Modernization & "Go Live"

• Site Modernization: Full "Go Live" deployment of modern, dark-themed dashboard and documentation
• Dashboard Redesign: Separated "Major Projects" from "Homework Assignments" for better navigation
• Editing Digital Essay Guide: Renamed and expanded "Portfolio Editing" guide to "Editing Digital Essay Guide"
• Project Requirements: Added prominent links to the Editing Digital Essay Guide in project requirements
• File Structure: Standardized file naming (removed _modern suffixes) for production deployment

November 4, 2025 - Web Portfolio Development Phase

• HTML/CSS Workshop Created: Comprehensive two-session code-along covering semantic HTML and CSS fundamentals
• Web Portfolio Homework Series: HW6 (HTML Structure), HW7 (CSS Styling), HW8 (Deployment)
• Mini-Lectures Expansion: Lectures 10-12 added covering GitHub Infrastructure, HTML as Structure, CSS as Rhetoric
• Final Project Requirements: HTML version created with complete specifications and assessment criteria
• Course Website Updates: All materials linked through main course index at https://tcu-dcda.github.io/WRIT20833-2025/

September 20, 2025 - Development Workflow Implementation

• Branch Strategy: Implemented protected main branch with textbook-dev for active development
• Repository Setup: Added development documentation and gitignore configuration
• Controlled Publishing: Branch protection ensures only tested content reaches public main branch
• Developer Environment: Jupyter Lab configuration and Python environment verified

September 28, 2025 - Text Analysis Development Phase

• Instant Data Scraper CodeAlong: Ethical data collection with browser extensions
• VADER Sentiment Analysis CodeAlong: Cultural text analysis with sentiment tools
• HW4-1 Complete: Term frequency and sentiment analysis assignment
• Topic Modeling Planning: Next steps document for Gensim LDA implementation

September 6, 2025 - Major Assessment & Planning Session

• Comprehensive Content Review: Evaluated all existing materials for textbook potential
• Provisional TOC Created: Complete 18-chapter structure with integration strategy
• Content Mapping: Identified 80%+ completion for Python foundations and text analysis (Chapters 3-4, 7-8)
• Development Strategy: Accelerated timeline due to high-quality existing content
• Integration Plan: Mini-lectures provide critical frameworks for technical chapters

Previous Migration

This repository represents a complete migration and reorganization of course materials from the previous WRIT20833 repository, optimized for the 2025 semester with improved structure and accessibility.