History in the computing curriculum

Abstract

Although history is a part of arts and sciences, the history of computing has yet to receive uniform acceptance in the academic community. The history of computing should be considered as a part of human understanding and how the development of computing has affected the human environment. Computing curricula recommendations often neglect this aspect of study. This report seeks to justify a history component in a computing curriculum by providing resources and a framework for a curriculum. The report is international in scope; it seeks to raise the awareness of history to improve the study and practice of the computing profession, without confining it to a specific computing discipline. It also leads to the importance of history as a learning tool, both for students and practitioners, and shows how academicians can make history part of a computing curriculum.