Building a Bridge between the Two Schools: Realizing a Practical Path to Include Literacy-based Skills within the STEM Curricula

TL;DR

This paper presents a practical methodology for integrating literacy-based skills like arts and communication into computer science curricula, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes at technical universities.

Contribution

It introduces a step-by-step approach to connect technical concepts with arts practices, demonstrated through application in several courses with positive assessment results.

Findings

Improved student engagement and exam scores

Enhanced understanding of technical concepts through arts integration

Positive student feedback on interdisciplinary teaching methods

Abstract

Developing students as well-rounded professionals is increasingly important for our modern society. Although there is a great consensus that technical and professional ("soft") skills should be developed and intertwined in the core of computer science subjects, there are still few examples of alike teaching methodologies at technical schools. This contribution investigates the integration of technical and professional skills while teaching specialized curricula in computer science. We propose a broadly applicable, step-by-step methodology that connects core technical concepts (e.g., information entropy, network security) with fine arts practices such as music, video production, gaming, and performing arts (e.g., Oxford-style debates). The methodology was applied in several computer science courses at technical universities, where quantitative and qualitative assessments, including student questionnaires and exam scores, showed improved learning outcomes and increased student engagement compared to traditional methods. The results indicate that this art-based integration can effectively bridge the historical divide between the two schools of thought, offering a practical direction for educators. Within this context, we also identify open issues that will guide future research on topics such as instructor engagement, female motivation in technical subjects, and scalability of these approaches.