During this comprehensive one-day course, Hugo Schnack, assistant professor Language acquisition, processing and disorders, will introduce the principles of machine learning and its relevance for research in the humanities.

Machine learning is a powerful technique to discover (complex) patterns in data. It is widely applied across research areas, such as physics, biology, and medicine, – and increasingly, in the humanities. In this tutorial, Schnack will guide you through some appealing (and appalling!) machine learning examples from literature, examples from his own research, and current use and potential applications in academic research.

Participants will engage in hands-on exercises, learning to train, test, and interpret machine learning models using (real) datasets. You may be surprised to discover how machine learning has already influenced your work, perhaps without you realising it. While machine learning can offer valuable insights, it should be used with care – like any statistics. Schnack will try to teach you a critical attitude towards machine learning, discussing common pitfalls and arguing that human intelligence is still necessary to obtain valid and reliable results.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided at Espressobar Lodewijk for all participants and instructor. You can indicate any dietary preferences in the registration form below. Coffee/tea will be available in the workspace throughout the day.

Level

This is a beginners workshop, but a basic understanding of statistics and R is beneficial. Even without this basic knowledge, you are welcome to attend, but then be aware that this workshop will be a bit more challenging.

Preparation

Please bring your own laptop.

For whom?

This workshop is open to all. However, due to our funding, priority will be given to teachers, researchers and students of the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University. A number of seats are reserved for participants from other UU faculties, allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. If these spots are filled, please register to be placed on a waiting list. Should a space become available, you will be notified.

Registration

To sign up, please complete the registration form below. Register early to secure your place, as spots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Admission is free, but in providing these workshops, costs are incurred: registration therefore implies a commitment to attend. If you need to cancel, please email to cdh@uu.nl so your spot can be offered to another participant. Thank you for your cooperation.