50 Years Ago

The investment of £2 million over the next five years in computer based learning is recommended by the National Council for Educational Technology in a report published this week. This “Programme for Action” is the outcome of eighteen months’ work by the council … Its main suggestions, intended to bring a measure of coordination to trends that are likely to occur in the near future, cover three general areas — specific applications of teaching by computer to selected topics that are particularly suitable for this technique; studies of the feasibility of using computers in fields of high priority, such as the education of slow learners; and the development of means of communication between the student and the computer. Using computers is seen as a natural extension of current techniques of programmed learning and audio-visual aids. Many institutions in the United States are already making progress in this direction.

From Nature 2 August 1969

100 Years Ago

The Journal of the Royal Society of Arts for July 4 contains a paper on science and industry in Australia … The paper sketches the development of agriculture in the Commonwealth, and sets forth the hopes for the future, especially in view of what is being done to promote scientific research and study. Australia contains vast mineral resources, particularly coal and iron, and the manufacture of iron and steel should be greatly facilitated by the excellent metallurgical coke derived from the coal of New South Wales and Queensland. Now that the steel industry is established in the continent, it is expected that wire and tinplate manufactures will be greatly stimulated. In regard to more scientific manufactures also, progress has been made during the war, and, with further development, they should be capable of production at much lower prices than those at which they can be obtained from Germany.

From Nature 31 July 1919