Bringing Relevance to Computing Courses through History

Abstract

This paper shows ways in which computing history can make the delivery of teaching computing courses relevant. The authors’ approach involves using computing history as a recurring theme throughout courses by adapting relevant historical stories or material to enhance course delivery and to capture student interest. The use of computing history often makes a positive and constructive improvement in courses by making them more interesting, stimulating, and thereby, informing students with non-technical elements in their computing specialties. This approach to computing studies should prove to be a helpful addition to student studies and provide them with a stronger understanding of the computing field in their careers.