Editing Educational software (section)

==History==

===1946s–1970s===
The use of computer hardware and software in education and training dates to the early 1940s, when American researchers developed [[flight simulator]]s which used [[analog computer]]s to generate simulated onboard instrument data. One such system was the type19 synthetic radar trainer, built in 1943. From these early attempts in the WWII era through the mid-1970s, educational software was directly tied to the hardware, on which it ran. Pioneering educational computer systems in this era included the [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO system]] (1960), developed at the University of Illinois, and [[TICCIT]] (1969). 

In 1963, IBM partnered with Stanford University's Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences (IMSSS), directed by [[Patrick Suppes]], to develop the first large-scale CAI curriculum, implemented in schools in California and Mississippi.<ref>[https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED034420 Brief History of Computer-Assisted Instruction at the Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences]. October 1968.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instructional Systems Development |url=http://faculty.coe.uh.edu/smcneil/cuin6373/idhistory/1960.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312222608/http://faculty.coe.uh.edu/smcneil/cuin6373/idhistory/1960.html |archive-date=2016-03-12 |access-date=2014-02-24 |website=faculty.coe.uh.edu}}</ref>

In 1967 Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC, now Pearson Education Technologies) was formed to market to schools the materials developed through the IBM partnership. Early terminals that ran educational systems cost over $10,000, putting them out of reach of most institutions. 

Some [[programming language]]s from this period, such as p3 and [[Logo (programming language)|LOGO]] (1967), were designed specifically for students and novice users. The [[PLATO (computer system)#Multimedia experiences (PLATO IV)|PLATO IV]] system (1972) introduced features that later became standard in educational software, including [[bitmap graphics]], primitive sound, and support for non-keyboard [[input device]]s, including the [[touchscreen]].

===1970s–1980s===
The arrival of the personal computer, with the [[Altair 8800]] in 1975, changed the field of software in general, with specific implications for educational software. Whereas users prior to 1975 were dependent upon university or government owned [[mainframe computer]]s with timesharing, users after this shift could create and use software for computers in homes and schools, computers available for less than $2000. By the early 1980s, the availability of personal computers including the [[Apple II]] (1977), [[Commodore PET]] (1977), [[VIC-20]] (1980), and [[Commodore 64]] (1982) allowed for the creation of companies and nonprofits which specialized in educational software. [[Broderbund]] and [[The Learning Company]] are key companies from this period, and [[MECC]], the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, a key non-profit software developer. These and other companies designed a range of titles for personal computers, with the bulk of the software initially developed for the Apple II.