Integrating Historical and Societal Contexts in the Computing Curricula (original) (raw)

Using Computing History to Enhance Teaching

IFIP International Federation for Information Processing

This paper focuses on a "history approach" as a way of teaching courses in computing. This project, funded in part by the National Science Foundation of the United States, is to use history as an ongoing theme throughout a course through the adaptation of relevant historical materials. The paper shows how the authors used historical materials to enhance course delivery. The expectation is that using history can make for a positive change in a course from one of sterile factual content to one containing dynamic interludes involving people, places, and events. In this manner, computing courses should be much more interesting. This mode of teaching should also stimulate more students (non-specialists) to consider computing as their major field of study.

Bringing Relevance to Computing Courses through History

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2013

This paper shows ways in which computing history can make the delivery of teaching computing courses relevant. The authors' approach involves using computing history as a recurring theme throughout courses by adapting relevant historical stories or material to enhance course delivery and to capture student interest. The use of computing history often makes a positive and constructive improvement in courses by making them more interesting, stimulating, and thereby, informing students with non-technical elements in their computing specialties. This approach to computing studies should prove to be a helpful addition to student studies and provide them with a stronger understanding of the computing field in their careers.

Techniques to introduce historical computers into the computer science curriculum

Recent research has shown that students should be familiar with computer history. This paper examines three projects whose goals are to bring history of computers and technology into the computer science classroom in innovative and interesting ways – a video of the PDP-11/10, a virtual reality simulator of the ENIAC computer, and a videotaped interview with one of the principal designers of the ENIAC. INTRODUCTION Modern computers are significantly faster, smaller, and cheaper than those available just a few short years ago and it is important that computer science curricula keep pace with current developments in software and hardware design. However, it is also important that students have at least an introductory understanding of and appreciation for the technological developments which are the basis for today's technology. In recent years many computer science curricula have included "history of computing" topics, and in fact the ACM Computer Curricula 2001 [5] incl...

A history of computing course with a technical focus

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2009

Many courses on the history of computing are designed for a general student audience, and as such, include fewer technical details than one might find in a typical CS course. While this approach is appropriate in some contexts, it risks losing the interest of the students who could perhaps benefit most from the subject -namely, future computer scientists. This paper describes a technically-oriented History of Computing course which we taught at the University of Utah in 2008. Like other History of Computing courses, ours included a significant amount of writing and discussion. However, inasmuch as our course was created specifically for CS students, we also incorporated several "hands-on" programming exercises and demonstrations, giving students actual experience with the computing environments of the past. Students and faculty alike have responded enthusiastically to this dualfaceted approach.

My Fascination with Computing History

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2012

This narrative on computing history reflects the experiences of the author and his involvement with computing history over a quarter century. The discussion portrays a transition from loathing history as a student to embracing computing history as a professional. The author shows how storytelling can produce interesting excursions on technical subjects and ways in which teaching computing with history can elevate student interest. He also provides examples showing ways in which historical events could complement computing studies. The article also explains how the author's earlier efforts in using history to teach computing led to a landmark publication and subsequent activities within IFIP leading to conferences and related publications.

Historical perspectives on the computing curriculum

ACM SIGCUE Outlook, 1997

Computing has become a diverse and multi-faceted discipline. It is imperative that computing curricula evolve so that they will effectively convey this breadth. An awareness of the societal implications of computing must also be at the core of all computing curricula. Furthermore, we observe that new computing curricula must be responsive to change, that pedagogy must be informed by reasoned judgement, and that educators function as reflective practitioners. This requires educators to respond appropriately to market pressures and technological innovations. This paper investigates some of the components of the discipline's evolving computing curricula from a variety of historical perspectives.

Past Present Future: The Place-and Case-for History in the Information Technology Curriculum

Often, Information Technology (IT) curricula omit addressing historical context of technological developments. When they occur, these omissions often are defended with one of three justifications: 1) IT can be taught, understood, and applied without benefit of any historical context; 2) IT instructors are not professional historians and, therefore, are not qualified to teach history; or 3) There is not enough time in a typical IT curriculum to teach history as well as technological applications. Rejoinders to each of these justifications educe a roadmap for including the study of historical context at all levels of study in the typical IT curriculum.