History of Computing

The seminar will focus on the milestones of computing technology starting from the 19th century. Initially, the groundbreaking developments from calculating machines to the first tools for data processing will be the starting point. "Turing machines" and the new needs" of the military, such as encryption and decryption, will then be central topics of the seminar. The primary focus will always be on the functionality of the machines. Additionally, the computers will consistently be discussed in the context of their time. Special attention will be given to the increasing demands and the changing applications, as in the case of the Enigma machine.

The specific topics will be determined at the beginning of the semester. The list of topics can be requested from the instructor.

The students  
- conduct research and work with historical sources and scholarly literature from the fields of computer science and history  
- describe aspects of computing technology  
- develop the ability to present and structure important aspects for a scientific presentation  
- express their views in a discussion and critically examine their topic  
- design and formulate a written summary of the presentation  

In presence

• Discussion-Based Learning
• Student Presentations
• Close Reading and Analysis
• Research Projects
• Written Assignments

• presentation, 45-60 minutes
• paper, 10 pages