Timeline: BRIEF HISTORY OF EDTECH

Period: 40,000 BCE to 400 BCE

Oral Communication

In oral communication time span, the earliest formal education began. Stories, folklore, histories and news were conveyed orally in ancient times.

38,000 BCE

Paintings on cave walls

Cave wall painting was used for both commununicative and religious purposes in Asia and Europe. It was the earliest communicative symbols.

3000 BCE

Papyrus

Before the invention of papyrus, many other tools were used for writing. Stone clay, tree bark, metal sheet, clay tablets, wax tablets are some of them.

2600 BCE

Abacus

Sumerian abacus was invented as the calculating tool. It had been used until the written modern numeral system came out.

Period: 400 BCE to 1800

Written Communication

Accompanied by written documents, this time span began. Many technologies came out for educational purposes. Papyrus, scrolled manuscript, slate boards, blackboards and chalkboards were used. After these tools, that disruptive invention was invented, printing press.

1440

Printing press

The invention of printing press in Europe, being an innovative technology, provided written sources and knowledge more accessible and led to a rapid expansion of formal education.

1500

Blackboard

Blackboards and chalkboards became used in schools.

1795

Pencil

The modern pencil was invented from pure carbon by Nicholas Jacques Conte. He was a scientist serving in Napoleon's army.

1800

The first mechanical computer

The first mechanical computer was created in the early 19th century by Charles Babbage. Afterwards, computers were introduced into classrooms.

Period: 1800 to 1990

Broadcasting and video

Due to digital compression and high-speed internet connection in 1990's, computer based education became common.

1920

The British Broadcasting Corporation

BBC started broadcasting educational programs on radio for schools.
In 1924, J.C. Stobart, the new Director of Education at the BBC, mused about ‘a broadcasting university’ in the journal Radio Times.

1945

Overhead projector

Overhead projector was created in 1870's and afterwards used by the US army for training during Worl War II. There were other kinds of projectors used for education, as well. For example slide projector and filmstrip projector. As time passed by, projector was overtaken by video cassete and DVD's.

1960

Television

Television was used for educational purposes for the first time.

1980

Computer aided instruction

In 1980's computer aided instruction became common in schools. CD roms and Microsoft Powerpoint began to be used in early 1990's and also interactive whiteboards and laptops were introduced during that time.

Period: 1990 to 2019

Computer technologies

Whereafter the introduction of interactive whiteboards and laptops, many schools invested in powerful networks and faster internet connections. Video conferencing became possible. Thus computer technologies became the basis of our education nowadays.