Menntun

2003 - Tölvunarfræði við Háskóla Íslands í tuttugu og fimm ár. (Oddur Benediktsson).

Samantekt á ensku vegna ráðstefnu um sögu tölvunnar á Norðurlöndum 2003, um forritunarnámskeið á IBM 1620 tölvu Reiknistofnunar háskólans.

Introductory courses in the use of computers and in programming

Initially, courses were held for directors and senior staff of institutes and private firms to introduce them to the use of computers and their potential usefulness, but not to make them proficient programmers. That was the aim with courses for the junior staff and students. In some cases this worked out differently. For example, courses were held for staff and students of the Medical Faculty at the University. The senior staff reacted and started planning the use of the computer in their research, whereas the students did not. The Business Administration faculty and students showed little interest.

Intensive Fortran II programming courses were held for the junior staff of research institutes and engineering firms. Many of them became enthusiastic users of the computer. They were also introduced to various programming packages relevant for their work. Most importantly, courses were held for engineering students at the University. The first courses were optional but in 1965-66 they became a compulsory part of the curriculum. The University of Iceland was one of the first universities in the Nordic countries to introduce compulsory programming courses in university curricula. These students became key persons in the development of the use of computers in science and engineering in Iceland.  (Magnús Magnússon)