UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA NACIONAL

presents

a

Paz Rodríguez

production

“A Brief History of Education

Technology”

A Definition ofEducational Technology

Also known variously as e-learning, instructional technology and learning technology, educational technology is the use of technology to support the learning process. Although the term can refer to all kinds of analogue technologies, eg photographs, film, video, audio recordings etc, it is usually used to talk specifically about digital computer technology.

Educational technology is only concerned with technology as it impacts upon the learning process, eg in delivering learning materials, facilitating communication and providing assessment and feedback. As society grows ever-more complex, at an ever-faster rate, so the demand for knowledge increases exponentially, with e-learning emerging as a major channel for meeting this demand.

Educational Technology is BIG – A Google search return 2.6 million hits for “educational technology”, and no less than 106 million for “e-learning”. Technology is already serving millions of learners worldwide.

From the typewriter and the camera to the computer and the DVD, technology has influenced the classroom. As film, recordings and the electronic calculator changed the educational experience for an earlier generation, today the computer and the Internet are revolutionizing what people call the “classroom” around the world.

1872 -- Christopher Sholes invents the first practical typewriter, with the familiar QWERTY keyboard. Typing classes and jobs for typists proliferate, providing new employment opportunities for women in clerical jobs previously closed to them. A typist can produce a document three times to 20 times faster than a clerk with a pen. Educators soon notice that students who learn to type improve their reading and writing skills.

1946 -- The first fully electronic computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), is unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC fills up a room 9 meters by 15 meters big and weighs more than 45 metric tons. In 1960, PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations), the first computer-assisted-instruction (CAI) system, is initiated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. PLATO profoundly will influence computer-based education systems throughout the world.

1967 -- Texas Instruments develops the first hand-held electronic calculator. It is the first mini-calculator to have the power found at that time only in considerably larger machines. The working heart of the first miniature calculator is an integrated semiconductor circuit for performing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In 1990, Texas Instruments creates the popular TI-81 graphing calculator, again improving math instruction and providing scientists with a new tool.

1974 -- The first affordable personal computer is featured on the cover of the magazine Popular Electronics. The Altair 8800 has 1KB of memory, an Intel 8080 processor, and sells as a kit for $395 or assembled for $498.  It was designed by H. Edward Roberts, a former U.S. Air Force officer who headed a small firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, named MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems). In February 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen provide the Altair with the first computer language program written for a personal computer.

1983 -- Compact disc (CD-ROM) technology is introduced. The digital CD was invented in the late 1960s by James T. Russell. SONY and other audio companies eventually realize Russell’s technology is viable and purchase licenses. By the end of 1983, 30,000 CD players and 800,000 CDs have been sold in the United States. Among other things, CD technology allows for storage of larger amounts of data and reference materials.

2005 -- One Laptop per Child is launched with the aim of distributing $100 laptops to poor children around the world. The program aims to revolutionize the world’s education. The latest model is bright orange, with "rabbit ears" antenna for Internet connectivity and a hand crank to provide power. It has a special reflective screen for use outdoors, a camera and an excellent sound system.

Educational Technology Quiz

Which of these is not a synonim of Educational Technology?

A) e-learningB) instructional technologyC) modern educationD)learning technology

Wrong guess!

Students who learn to type improve their…

A) listening skillsB) reading and writing skillsC) speaking skillsD) none of the above

Wrong guess!

The first electronic computer weighs more than…

A) 100 metric tonsB) 500 kilosC) 45 metric tonsD)10 kilos

Wrong guess!

When was the first hand-held electronic calculator developed?

A) 1967B) 1948C) 1899D)1976

Wrong guess!

Who invented the CD?

A) Bill GatesB) Bill BurroughsC) James MorrisonD)James T. Russell

Wrong guess!

Congratulations!

You have successfullycompleted the quiz!

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www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2008/February/200801290938151CJsa

goldenink.com/computersandnetworks.shtml