Students from across the Information Technology curriculum recently stepped out of the traditional classroom and into computing history. Professor Ashford’s ITEC 2215 and Dr. Spangler’s ITEC 1001 classes came together at MGA’s Museum of Technology for a collaborative session exploring both the technical foundations and the broad societal impact of early personal computing.
Rather than just studying concepts on a screen, students examined how early computing revolutionized everyday life. Discussions ranged from IBM’s iconic Charlie Chaplin marketing campaign, which helped make enterprise computers feel approachable to everyday people, to Steve Jobs’ meticulous design philosophy that turned personal devices into a consumer staple.
Highlights of the visit included seeing rare artifacts like the one-of-a-kind Archistrat 4b prototype and an Altair 8088db, as well as Dr. Spangler’s first computer - a still functioning Apple IIc! The joint session gave students an engaging, tangible bridge between their foundational IT coursework and the technological evolution that shapes the industry today.
For more information: moT@mga.edu
