Click here to learn about Dave Moursund's free book on science and technology education for teaches and parents of K-8 children.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Many years ago I heard the statement that a computer is a solution looking for a problem. This statement has stuck in my head, and it still seems relevant.

The history of computing devices is usually traced back many thousands of years ago to the abacus and still early aids to counting and keeping track of quantities. An abacus is an excellent and easy to learn aid to adding and subtracting integers.

Electronic digital computers began to be developed in the late 1930s. During World War 2, England, Germany, and the United States worked on the development of electronic digital computers that would be useful in their war efforts. In England, the emphasis was on decoding German coded military messages. In the United States, the computer was seen as a supplement to or replacement for hundreds of people using desk calculators to calculate artillery-firing tables and deal with calculations of the massive logistics efforts required in the war effort.

The development of these early computers was driven by specific problems that people wanted to solve. Thus, we can think of this situation as a problem looking for a solution.

By the early 1950, computers were being mass-produced. There were “obvious” business, government, and military uses. Computers became quite important in science and engineering. Computer graphics emerged as a powerful aid to representing and solving engineering and graphic arts problems. One can think of this period of time as a balance between a solution looking for problems and problems looking for a solution.

Eventually microcomputers can along. Computerized games and other computerized toys soon became very popular.

I find it interesting to think of this situation as a solution (microcomputers) looking for problems that a lot of people had in common. It turned out that examples of such problems included entertainment, simple business and other data processing problems (spreadsheet and database programs), and simple aids to teaching and learning such as computerized flashcards.

Now, think more deeply about education. Computers are used on the business data processing side of education in the same ways that they are used in business. This is “no big deal” and is a cost effective use.

However, what about the problems of curriculum content, instruction, and assessment. There are all quite complex problems that our school systems have to deal with. While we have long had simple computer-assisted instruction and widespread use of handheld calculators, these uses make only a modest dent in the problems of education. Similarly, computerized scoring of mark sense test sheets and computerized adaptive testing are useful computer applications, but assessment remains as a major educational problem.

In education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has created a major problem that is only slowly being addressed. What should students be learning about uses of ICT to help represent and solve problems? How does one help students to effectively use their brain and a computer brain together to solve challenging problems? (See http://iae-pedia.org/Two_Brains_Are_Better_Than_One.) These may be problems that students currently study in the “conventional” curriculum or they may be problems that can be solved (indeed, perhaps can only be solved) through use of ICT. From my point of view, this is currently the most challenging problem of computers in education.

What You Can Do

You know that the message sent is not necessarily the message received. You, for example, have “constructed” a personal meaning to my message given above. My overall intent is to provide you with some information and ideas that you will act upon in a manner that leads to improving our informal and formal education system.

So, pause for a few seconds and think about the meaning you have constructed from my message and some possible action that you might take based on the meaning you have constructed. What occurs to you that you, personally, will try out in your quest to improve  our education system?

As a personal example, I have long been interested in the idea that any new technology benefits some people more than others. In essence, any new technology has the possibility of being a problem for some or many people. This also relates to early adopters and late adopters of new technology—a fascinating area of study.

Final Remarks

Spend a bit of time reflecting on what you have just read. How does the information fit in with your current knowledge, beliefs, and activities? How can you make use of the information to help improve our informal and formal educational systems? Who do you know that might benefit from reading the IAE Blog entry?

If the IAE blog entries are useful to you, then consider signing up for a Free Subscription. (See the menu on the left side of the page). You will automatically receive email about new postings to the blog. Typically, there are about three new postings per week.

Links to Related IAE Documents

Assessing Student Achievement in Difficult to Assess Curricular Areas: Social Knowledge and Skills.  IAE Newsletter - Issue 57, January, 2011. 

Computational Thinking versus Computer and Information Science.

Real world and video game realities. IAE Newsletter - Issue # 40 April 2010.

Self-formative assessment.

Translating brain science research results into effective teaching.

Tutor, Tool, Tutee, Toy. AE Newsletter - Issue # 42 May 2010. The "toy" aspects of computer technology are a particular challenge to our education system. 

Video Games

What the Future is Bringing Us.