History of Educational Technology 1950-1979

Alison Eckert History of Educational Technology 1950-1979

1Analytical Presentation: Analyzing Three Decades from My TimelineAlison Eckert: alison.eckert@waldenu.edu

This project was created to meet the requirements of EDU 8840: Evolution of Educational Technology in Society, Education, and the Workplace, a course required for the PhD in EducationEducational Technology program at Walden University.

August 10, 2013

2IntroductionAlvin Tofflers Wave TheoryAgricultural Age1600-1750Industrial Age1750-1950Information Age1950-

3Introduction1950s1960s1970s

I decided to present on the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. These three decades are the beginning of what Alvin Toffler identified as the Information Age. These three decades were filled with innovation and progress as well as a rich history of social and political change. During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, we also saw a fair deal of new ideas and theories in the field of education, many of which are still actively influencing both design and instruction within our school systems around the country. In this presentation, I will take you on a tour of the most significant events that I plotted on my timeline in the field of technology as well as other major events of each decade. After I share major events from each decade, I will share a few connections between the technological advances of each decade and a handful of other notable events that took place during the same time period. At the end of my presentation, I will share a personal reflection of how I feel technology and other important events of this three decade period influenced and impacted one another.

Please note: One additional reason why I selected the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, is that these are the last three decades prior to my birth. I have only studied and learned about the events and culture of these decades through my education, independent research, and the stories of othersall skewed by various motives and skewed lenses. Please bear with me as I try to highlight the important events of three decades with which I am not intimately familiar.4Timeline:

Six Strands

WAVE THEORYTECHNOLOGYBUSINESSLEARNING THEORYNATURE OF SOCIETYGOVERNMENT

WAVETHEORY:

Information Age1950-

1950s

1950s: Technology1957 - FORTRAN introduced by IBM1957 - The IBM 7090 could perform almost 230,000 calculations/second1958 - 1st Tape Recorders for home use released1959 - Transistors were commonly replacing vacuum tubes in computers

FORTRAN (FORmula TRANSlation) was a "computer language based on algebra, grammar, and syntax rules" and "became one of the most widely used computer languages for technical work.The IBM 7090 could perform 229,000 calculations per second. This computer was used by the US Air Force to run the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System.Panasonic introduced the RQ-201, which was a tape recorder for home use.Vacuum tubes were being replaced by transistors in computers.

91950s: Significant Events1950 - First credit card1950 - Erikson's Stages of Development1952 TVs in the home1954 - Segregation ruled illegal in US1954 - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs1954 Portable radios1955 - Disneyland opened

Diners Club accepted first "card" payment for businessman who forgot his wallet and established a system where restaurants and hotels would bill after the date of service for select clientele. Erikson introduced his Stages of Development.Panasonic started selling TVs; They started selling their first black and white, 17-inch TV.Separate but equal was no longer allowed. This led to desegregation efforts around the nation. Maslow described how each level of needs must be satisfied in order for the learner to successfully grow and learn.High demand for portable radios; Panasonic started selling a 4-tube, 1-band portable radio. Disneyland opened after just one year of construction. This led to the development of an entertainment empire and the development of amusement parks across the nation.

101950s: ConnectionsInformationEntertainmentRacial tensions and changing lawsNew theories in education

The 1950s was a time when computers and technology were getting us started in what Toffler referred to as the Age of Information. We were storing, retaining, using, and producing more information than ever before, and the need to process, store, and share that information was an important driving factor in both technological advances and changes taking place within our homes and social circles. People were looking to follow the news through TV and radio, and they were starting to demand entertainment be delivered to them through these devices at times and locations of their convenience.

At the same time that many were seeking news and entertainment, racial tensions were dividing the nation. During the 1950s, we saw desegregation and our schools and communities were restructured to accommodate all citizens and students in the same physical spaces. Separate but equal was no longer acceptable. We were tearing down the racial barriers, and it was not an easy fight.

Amongst all the technological advances and social/political turmoil, several theorists were helping us to see students and children through different lenses. Erickson proposed his stages of development, which had great impact in education and our understanding of children, adolescents, and adults across the lifespan. Teachers, parents, and others were starting to make age-appropriate decisions regarding learning and experiences that were informed by Ericksons theory and proposed stages of development instead of what just felt right to the teachers and parents.

Contemporary to Erickson, Maslow was identifying the various needs that people have to feel comfortable. Maslows needs helped educators and parents identify what students and children needed in order to prepare to learn. He addressed factors like safety and love as essential needs that set a student or child up to be able to learn. These needs eventually led to a more student-centered view of the classroom and instructional practices, where we had to attend to the students needs and not just the content that would be shared by the instructor. It must have been challenging to invoke feelings of comfort and safety amid the desegregation movement and sometimes violent social turmoil; so teachers had a challenge on their plates.111960s

1960s: Technology1962 LED light invented1964 - IBM introduced first "family" of computers System/3601969 - IBM began selling hardware and software separately

Nick Holonyak Jr. created the first LED light. This system allowed computers to use accessories and software interchangeably. This choice was noted to be a great risk at the time. "Unbundling" software and hardware eventually led to the multi-bilion dollar software industry of today. 131960s: Significant Events1963 JFK assassinated1963 - No Bible passages in school reaffirmed1965 - US Sends troops to Vietnam1965 - Malcolm X assassinated1969 - Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated1969 - 1st man on Moon

President of the United States was shot during a parade in Dallas, TX.Supreme court ruled that "no state law or school board may require that passages from the Bible be read or that the Lord's Prayer be recited in the public schools...even if individual students may be excused from attending or participating..." Conflict began in the 1940s, and the US sent in troops. A "self-defense" activist for civil rights "at any cost" was shot by Nation of Islam members, a group from which he was recently separated. He was referred to as an "apostle of nonviolence" who fought for equality. Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. 141960s: ConnectionsSpace adventure and technologyContinued racial tensionsReligion in public schoolsVietnam and political turmoilHardware/software and systems suggests a shift towards consumer preference

With sending the first man to the moon, NASA was utilizing a great deal of new technologies. The space race fueled technology forward as the US tried to stake a claim as an innovative nation. Especially with NASA, a lot of the technology attention was placed on the sciences and engineering as well as communication.

The US continued to see a period of extreme racial tensions and the assassination of two, famous African-American leaders, the at all costs Malcolm X and the non-violent Martin Luther King Jr. We also saw the assassination of a popular president, John F. Kennedy Jr.

During the 1960s, the nation was already divided on political and racial grounds, but the US committed to sending troops to fight in the Vietnam War, which was a largely unpopular war among the citizenry.

Religion in public schools faced ongoing challenges, as students and teachers were no longer allowed to share or recite Bible passages during the school day in public schools.151970s

161970s: Technology1970 - ARPAnet established1971 - e-book invented1971 - Introduction of the Floppy Disk1973 - First cellphone introduced1975 - Microsoft founded1976 - Apple I released1977 - VHS video tape recorders introduced

Department of Defense created ARPAnet to connect four hubs for research, so that computers from each hub could access anything on a computer at the other hub. Michael Hart, the founder of Project Guttenberg, invented the e-book. Floppy disks were introduced and quickly became the standard for storing personal computer data. Motorola introduced the first cell phone. The first call was made to competitor, AT&T. Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft. Steven Wozniak, along with encouragement from Steve Jobs, created the Apple I. The tapes could be recorded for 2-4 hours. 171970s: Significant Events1970 - Discovery-based teaching1973 - Legalization of Abortion1978 - 1st "test tube" baby born1978 - Landmark Surveillance Act made Law

Piaget's "Science of Education" led to discovery-based instructional techniques. Roe Vs Wade ruling led to the legalization of abortion in the US. First baby was born from in vitro fertilization. Law enforcement now had to seek a warrant before conducting technology-assisted surveillance. 181970s: ConnectionsScience and technologyReproductive healthAdvances in communication and entertainment

Science and technology were advancing together. We were exploring new medications and therapies in medicine as well as creating new techniques for fertility treatments and reproductive health. At the same time while scientists and doctors were assisting families with new conception techniques, such as in-vitro fertilization in fertility clinics, abortion clinics were granted the ability to terminate existing pregnancies at the mothers requesta result of the verdict in Roe vs Wade.

A lot of technological advances during this decade led to our ability to grow in technology in the decades to follow. Some of the most significant technological advances were in portable data storage with the addition of the floppy disk and in the creation of the militarys small but significant predecessor to the modern-day internetARPAnet. Other important advances in technology, communication, and entertainment came with the introduction of cellphones, Microsoft, and e-books.

With the advances in technology in the 1970s came the Landmark Surveillance Act, which restricted government organizations from collecting electronic data and using technology-assisted surveillance without first being issued a warrant.

The addition of VHS recorders allowed families and individuals to capture video of important life events with ease. The early tapes were able to accommodate two-four hours of footage, and so began the home movie era.

19ConclusionTechnologyMade it easier to process, share, and store information and opened new communication channelsA lot of innovation came from the scientists and government. SocietyDrove the demand for technology and continues to do so in the increasingly consumer-driven technology market of today

TechnologyMade it easier to process, share, and store information and opened new communication channelscomputers, storage options like the floppy disk, and networks like ARPAnet really set the groundwork for the future of technologyA lot of innovation came from the scientists and governmentSome of the technology was created before the use was defined or identifiedSocietyDrove the demand for technology and continues to do so in the increasingly consumer-driven technology market of todaySometimes society was dealing with its own issues with war, race, and politics, and technology was happening somewhat in isolation.Government funding led to a lot of innovation and government regulation was aimed at protecting the rights and privacy of individual citizens

20ReferencesAll References can be found at: http://aeckert-et-timeline.wikispaces.com/file/detail/eckerta+timeline+cover+and+bibliography.docx Click here for a complete list of urls for web resources consulted during this project:http://aeckert-et-timeline.wikispaces.com/file/detail/timeline+bibliography.docx