[SIGCIS-Members] Pointers for Intro-Level History(ies) of Computing

[Eric Kaltman]

Thanks Peter! And to everyone that has also sent me resources off-list!

On Tue, Oct 8, 2024 at 12:56 PM Peter Krapp <krapp at uci.edu> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> While I would rather come up with my own ways to organize a syllabus that
> reflects the needs and wants locally (of you and your students from a class
> like this) rather than emulate other syllabi, I’m again teaching an
> undergraduate class on the history of computing this fall at UC Irvine, so
> let me offer a couple of comments.
>
> Today, to mark "Ada Lovelace Day" as well as the announcement of Hinton’s
> Nobel prize, I had fun playing them a “deep dive podcast” in class that had
> been generated by Google’s NotebookLM from a few assigned readings about
> Lovelace and Babbage, including the detailed technical description Doron
> Swade posted online on behalf of the Science Museum in 2020 (which is more
> detailed than the Difference Engine #2 User Manual).
>
> As for the overall outline of the course, for me it works to use
> selections from the Haigh & Ceruzzi book, "A New History Of Modern
> Computing" (MIT 2021) but supplementing that with chapters and articles by
> almost a dozen others, to provide exactly the kinds of accents you mention
> in your email.
>
> I decided against using TV shows like "Halt and Catch Fire" or films like
> the "Imitation Game" this time, though in the past I have sometimes
> indulged that a bit. The key to that decision I guess is whether you want
> the assignments to be informed by entertainment or not.
>
> Regards, Peter Krapp
>
> Computing Legacies:
> https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262549837/computing-legacies/
>
>
>
> On Oct 8, 2024, at 10:54, Eric Kaltman via Members <
> members at lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
>
> Greetings,
>
> I'm gearing up to teach an inaugural 100-level undergraduate course on the
> history of computing in the History, Classics and Religion department at
> the University of Alberta this Winter.
>
> I've been reviewing the SIGCIS syllabus repository (thanks for having that
> available!) for potential readings, but also wanted to see if anyone on the
> list has had success with intro undergraduate history of computing
> recently. The most recent syllabus is from 2016, and I'm looking to find
> ways to integrate a range of topics that might be relevant to students
> (from brief histories of AI, innovation / maintenance, diverse
> representation, gender/queer theories of technology, etc.)
>
> I was also thinking of potentially including popular cultural
> representations / journalistic readings related to computing cultures (Kill
> It with Fire, Halt and Catch Fire [lots of fire apparently?]), but due to
> the limitations of life have not had any time to validate those less
> academic offerings.
>
> Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. I just moved back
> into a humanities department after spending five years teaching in computer
> science, so I'll be working to remember / relearn this with the students as
> well.
>
> Best,
> Eric
> --
> Dr. Eric Kaltman, Assistant Professor
> Software History Futures and Technologies (SHFT) Group
> https://www.shft.group
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> Media and Technology Studies / History
> University of Alberta
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-- 
Dr. Eric Kaltman, Assistant Professor
Software History Futures and Technologies (SHFT) Group
https://www.shft.group
Media and Technology Studies / History
University of Alberta
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