Microelectronics Education Programme: Difference between revisions

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The programme was administered by the Council for Educational Technology in [[London]], but the directorate operated, unusually, from a semi-detached house on the Coach Lane Campus of the then Newcastle Polytechnic (now [[Northumbria University]]).

==Central Team==

The Director of the programme was Richard Fothergill, a man of vision and passion for the concept of bringing computers to schools. By April 1981 he had set up a small team of seven people, operating from offices at Cheviot House in Newcastle Polytechnic .<ref>Fothergill, R. (1982) 'The Microelectronincs Education Programme' in (eds.) J. Megarry, D.R.F. Walker and S Nisbet, World Year Book of Education:Computers and Education, Kogan Page reprinted 2006</ref>. John Anderson was appointed Deputy, and the rest of the central team consisted of Bob Coates, Helen Milner, Mike Bostock and Lynn Craig later supported by Mike Page for Press and Media, Bill Broderick for International, and Alan Greenwell and Ralph Tabberer for Curriculum Development. The information collection and dissemination was carried out by the information officer who used an early form of [[Teletext]] (called [[Prestel]]) and email (called [[Telecom Gold]]) to disseminate news of materials and training opportunities. Each member of staff created correspondence on a handheld wordprocessor, a [[Microwriter]], designed by [[Cy Endfield]].

==Strategy==

Richard Fothergill published MEP's strategy in April 1981 having been appointed in the previous November. It had a number of innovative ideas in it, including a wide definition of its work covering computer aided learning, computer studies, microelectronics and information handling and a strong emphasis on regional collaboration.

<ref>Fothergill R., 1981, Microelectronics Education Programme: The Strategy, Department of Education and Science, London</ref> The aim of the Programme was to help schools to prepare children for life in a society in which devices and systems based on microelectronics are commonplace and pervasive. <ref>http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/history/the_1980s/MEP_strategy.html</ref>

==Curriculum Materials==

Educational materials were initially devised by teachers for teachers, financed by the [[Department of Education and Science (UK)|Department of Education and Science]] of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. It was common to see written on various books and leaflets that the aims of the programme were to 'promote, within the school curriculum, the study of [[microelectronics]] and its effects, and to encourage the use of the technology as an aid to teaching and learning'.

==DTI Computer Scheme==

By 1982, the [[Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)|Department of Trade and Industry]] became involved and began to introduce computers in the secondary schools, later the primary schools .<ref>Dalyell T., (1984), New Scientist August 30th 1984 </ref>. Teams of teachers, programmers and publishers worked hard to develop software to run on a variety of machines. The two most popular were [[Acorn Computers]] and [[RM plc|Research Machines]] computers. The [[Sinclair Research Ltd|Sinclair]] [[ZX Spectrum]] was used in a variety of situations, very often for control projects, such as teaching children how traffic lights worked.

==Regional Structure==

14 Regional Information Centres were set up around the UK to demonstrate materials to local teachers. There was one information officer, one director and a number of training coordinators per region. The focus for the training was split into four 'domains': - the Computer as a Device (exploring and developing Computer Science as a subject); Communications and Information Systems (looking at the electronic office and developing a Business Studies theme); Electronics and Control Technology (developing devices and resources to support Science and Technology subjects); and Computer Based Learning (looking and developing how uses of technology could support teaching and learning right through and across the whole curriculum).

==Primary Project==

Originally conceived as a programme to develop secondary education, it was soon perceived that many primary schools were ready to adopt new methodologies. A National Primary Project was established, which developed a substantial amount of high class resources that were the basis for significant curriculum development.

Whilst the programme was running it attracted world attention and was highly commended.

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==