Remarks on Teaching History of Computing Radomir S. Stanković, Claudio Moraga Dept. of Computer Science, Faculty of Electronics, Niš, Serbia Dept. of Computer.

Remarks on Teaching History of Computing

Radomir S. Stanković, Claudio Moraga

Dept. of Computer Science, Faculty of Electronics, Niš, Serbia

Dept. of Computer Science, Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany

Why to Teach History of Computing

Ever increased complexity of systems requires raising level of abstraction in teaching

Teaching

The way of thinking in particular scientific areas

Facts and methods

From History

What was the way of thinking about particular probemsin certain scientific areas in the past

Which solutons were imposed or dictated by the technology

Inacceptable for the lack of technology

Fruitful or unsuccessful approaches

Right directions and way of thinking

Wasting of time and efforts

Examples from Serbian History of Educations

Nomination of Professors

Quality of Teaching

Matter of State importance

International standards and methods

M. PetrovićJ. Cvijić

First Full Professors at University of Belgrade, 1905

First University Professors in Serbia

Velika Škola, 1808

Elektrotehničkaškola, 1846

Appointed by the King

Sima LozanićJovan M. ŽujovićDragoljub M. PavlovićLjubomir JovanovićJovan CvijićMihailo PetrovićMilić RadovanovićAndra Stevanović

February 27, 1905

What is the present practice?

The Laws for University

19921997

2002

Checking in 2001

No real checking of teaching skills for University Professors.

Recognizing of inadequate regulations?

§

International Committee for Teaching Mathematics43 permanent members representinatives of 25 statesfrom Euope America and Australia

GermanyAustriaBelgiumDenmarkSpeinUSAFrench

Members of the CommitteeGreceeNetherlandHungaryEnglandItalyNorweyPortugalRomaniaRussiaSerbiaSwedenSwitzerlandBulgariaAustraliaBrasilColony CapMexicoJapan

Serbia have had an official representative

Mihailo Petrović – AlasNikola SaltikovĐuro Kurepa

Serbian Representatives

RecommendationsIn primary and highschool teaching, force as most as possibleintuition and experiments with as less as possible of formalistic elements;in professional schools, give to the mathematics, as a basic auxiliary element, a practical, utilitatry character, and in high education, where the mathematics is studied for itself, regardless its role in other areas of knowledge,teaching should be developed in a purely logical direction.

Main IntentionsIs it necessary to mention, besides the common gains that will result from this common approaching of mathematical teaching in different countries, also undoubtful use of reciprocity and mutual relationships that will exists between schools in different countries, which will be particularly noticeable in the cases of transition of students from a school in a countryinto a school of the same kind in a different country?

Where we are now?Rigid and conservative way of teaching

Slow reform

No proper analysis and control of teaching process

I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.

The Origin of Species

Charles Darwin

Artificial IntelligenceOperating SystemsProgramming Languages, andSocial, Ethnical and Professional Issues

IEEE/ACM Recommendations

The 1991 curriculum for Computer Science bythe IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machineryincluded explicit education modules related to History in four specific areas

IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1996, 54-62.

Different areas?George Santayana

First ConferenceHistory of Computingthe Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1977

Keynote speaker – Richard HammingWe Would Know What They Thought When They Did ItHistory of computing should pursue the contextual development of ideas,rather than merely listing names, dates, places, and “firsts”.

IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1996, 54-62.

R. Hamming

Suggestions

Teaching of topics from history within regular courses

Specialized courses for History of Computing within a major on Philosophy of Science