Photos: Education technologies from the 1900s
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Magic lantern projector
Educational practices have benefited from advances in technology for most of human history, often providing spaces and conditions for innovative leaps in science. Here are some of the technologies used to advance education in the past.
Magic lanterns were the first image projectors used in education, allowing teachers to display large images to entire classrooms.
Stereoscope
Stereoscope
Stereoscopes were initially used to provide 3D images of Civil War battle scenes, but became useful in classrooms for historical purposes. The technology uses right and left eye photos to create a three-dimensional image.
Mimeograph
The mimeograph was the precursor to photocopiers, allowing users to make copies of documents using a stencil.
Linear slide rule
Linear slide rule
Slide rules were created in the 1600s but only became widely used in education by the end of the 1800s and early 1900s. They were originally used for construction, but were eventually produced for consumer and educational use by 1870.
Skinner teaching machine
Skinner teaching machine
The creation of the Skinner Teaching Machine in 1954 coincided with a spike in desire for better schooling practices. B. F. Skinner created the machine to give students on-demand math problems, and it could churn out dozens of math equations.
The handheld calculator
The handheld calculator
The first handheld calculators for widespread consumer use were created in the 1970s. They revolutionized schooling and allowed students to handle more complex mathematical problems.
Scantron
Scantrons gained prominence in the late 1900s as an easy test grading tool. The machine is now used widely across the world to grade exams.
The Plato Computer
Created in 1960, the Plato (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) system was one of the first computer assisted instruction systems and is seen as a precursor to modern computers due to its pioneering of the multi-user computing experience. Scientists credit Plato for establishing screen sharing, e-mail, message boards, multiplayer games and more.
Handheld Graphing Calculator
Handheld Graphing Calculator
Starting in 1965 and continuing through the 1970s and 1980s, handheld graphing calculators were created by Japanese company Casio Computer. The products took a massive leap forward in 1985 with the fx-7000G graphing calculator, which quickly became popular in Ohio and subsequently the rest of the US.
Photocopier
Photocopier
The Xerox 914 plain paper copier was built in 1959 and could make 100,000 copies per month. The product revolutionized education, allowing teachers to make copies of documents and books for entire classes.
Also see
- New equipment budget policy (Tech Pro Research)
- Photos: Apple upgrades $300 iPad for education… and businesses (TechRepublic)
- Technology in education: The latest products and trends (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
- The digital transformation of learning: Social, informal, self-service, and enjoyable (ZDNet)
- Digital transformation: An IT pro’s guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
- Windows is gaining on iOS in the education market (ZDNet)
- Chromebooks: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
