Using computing history to enhance teaching

Abstract

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. © 2004 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.