50 Years of Computers in Education

Since at least the invention of the phonograph, the use of technology has promised to revolutionize our educational system. However, real benefits of and changes to education because of technology are not well documented. Experiments with computers in education have been going on since the late 1950's. There have been several distinct phases of these experiments which have been driven by changes in computer technology. In this talk, I will discuss some of the experiments which have been conducted using computers in education. I will also discuss the impact they have had on their classes and on teaching as a whole. The current generation of Web-based educational projects will be considered, along with some possible trends we might see in the next five to ten years.