Building Computational Literacy in Undergraduate Sociology Using Software

An Example in Teaching Social Network Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID11064002
AuthorsTom Wolff (0000-0002-4884-251X, Northwestern University, Chicago IL, USA, corresponding author), Gabriel Varela (0000-0003-2800-1577, University of Indiana – Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA), Jonathan Eastwood (0009-0000-0071-3332, Washington and Lee University, Lexington VA, USA)
Year2026
Publication date2026-03-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTeaching Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0092-055X • E-ISSN: 1939-862X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0092055x261422479
OpenAlexW7134975846
LanguageEN
References cited35

Computational literacy, broadly defined as having the skills and knowledge to use computing technology, provides new avenues for students to connect sociological concepts with empirical cases. However, integrating computational literacy into undergraduate sociology curricula presents logistical and other challenges for instructors. This article explores how to overcome these challenges by using software to integrate computational skill building into existing topical courses. A case study of a social network analysis course is presented to illustrate this integration in practice. Although students’ experiences in this course were positive, we identify key difficulties in administering the course, such as time constraints and students’ varied computational expertise. We discuss recommendations for overcoming these difficulties and conclude that developing computational literacy in topical electives is possible. Such an approach provides students new ways to engage with complex social issues

Computational Thinking · Curriculum · Key (lock · Literacy · Social network (sociolinguistics · Social network analysis · Sociology of Education · Teaching method · Computational and Text Analysis Methods · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences