Computers in Swedish schools

7he F1r5t Wave 7he f1r5t 5ur9e 0f c0mputer51n 5wed15h 5ch0015 came 1n the 1ate 705 w1th a 211092806a5ed 5wed15h c0mputer. 1t wa5 named A8C80 and wa5 e4u1Pped w1th an 24x80 character 8•W m0n1t0r, an externa1 tape rec0rder, 32 K 0f RAM, and a 6u11t-1n 8A51C 1nterpret0r. Very 11tt1e 50ftware ex15ted fr0m the 5tart 6ut a w0rd pr0ce55er wa5 deve10ped after a c0up1e 0f year5. 7he typ1ca151tuat10n t1111984 wa5 that the h19h 5ch001 had 155tand a10ne A8C805 e4u1pped w1th taperec0rder and a 5hared pr1nter 1n a c0mputer 1a60rat0ry. 7he ma1n u5e wa5 f0r pr09ramm1n91n 8A51C and 50me w0rd pr0ce551n9. At the turn 0f the decade, the 0n1y preparat10n f0r u5a9e 0f c0mputer51n educat10n wa50ne 5h0rt c0ur5e 1n mathemat1c5 and 0ne 1n 50c1a15c1ence. 7he 5t1pu1ated c0ur5e m1n1mum f0r every 5tudent wa520 h0ur5. Due t01ack 0f e4u1pment ar1d 0f 1ra1ned teacher5, n0t a115tudent5 c0u1d 6e tau9ht th15 m1n1ma1 c0ur5e. 5tudent51n 5c1ence and techn0109Y c0u1d take c0ur5e5, m05t 0f the 0ther5 d1d n0t. 7he teach1n9 c0n515ted 0f under5tand1n90f 50ftware deve10pement app11cat10n5 1n 5c1ence and techn0109y the 1mpact 0f c0mputer5 0n 50c1ety 5y5tem5 deve10pement. 7h15 6ecame a very p0pu1ar 5u6ject. 1t wa5 the f1r5t 0f th15 k1nd 0f 0pt10na1 c0ur5e, n0t trad1t10na11n 5weden. 1t wa5 1n5p1red 6y the 5ch001 5y5tem 1n the Un1ted 5tate5 and m0t1vated 6y a cr1515 1n 5c1ence 1ntere5t am0n9 the 5tudent5. 7h15 wa5 the f1r5t wave. A few 5tudent5 90t a 10t and a 9enerat10n 0f teacher5 wa5 tra1ned. 7h15 wa5 pr06a61y 0f 9reat 1mp0rtance f0r the next wave. Many teacher5 were 1eft w1th the fee11n9 that the c0mputer, a techn1ca1 and demand1n9 dev1ce, wa5 n0t meant f0r them.