Chapter Outline

HISTORY OF THE COMPUTER

I. Early times

II. Technology Pioneers and Their Calculating Device

1. Several pre-twentieth century inventors pioneered computational devices and their inventions prior to the computer.
2. All the mechanical devices of the early days could only do arithmetic. Other individuals contributed to the development of real computers.
3. The age of the modern computer began in 1944.

III. Generations of Computers

1. The era of commercial computers began in 1951, with the arrival of the UNIVAC, and computers manufactured on a large scale for the first time.
2. Each stage of technological advancement is known as a generation.

IV. Brief History of Computers in Education

1. Educational technology can be traced to early cultures, which transmitted information using sign writing.
2. An emphasis on radio and television in the 1980s has been replaced by increased attention to computers including educational technology.
3. Several educational techniques were forerunners to learning with a microcomputer.
4. In 1977, the microcomputer came into the schools, shifting the focus from mainframes to desktop microcomputer systems.
5. Educators and other professionals have learned many valuable lessons about the use of computers in education.