Making the Computer Fit for School: Efforts to Develop a State-Mandated Educational Computer in Sweden and East Germany (1980s-1990s)

Abstract

As a result of the computerization of various workplaces and the increased presence of micro- computers in society, several countries around the globe took steps in the 1980s to introduce computers into schools. In certain countries, such as East Germany (GDR) and Sweden, this meant developing a purpose-built computer centrally to raise pupils’ level of competence in informatics. As part of this process, the microcomputer became the epitome of educational technology. In this article, we investigate the process by which the microcomputer became an educational technology in the minds of the politicians and pedagogues involved in the projects. We argue that the national projects that the GDR and Sweden embarked upon express the dominant views of the respective state authorities in relation to the ideal relationship between computer technology, society, and education. Through a historical comparison by contrast of contexts, this article shows the sociotechnical imaginaries that prompted the two countries to initiate a strategy to bring computer technology into schools.