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The Antikythera mechanism is an astounding device dating to antiquity. It has been hailed as the first mechanical computer, but more precisely it is an educational device.

Let me begin by admitting my lifelong inability to sleep through the night. And, while I am at it, I may as well admit that for the past 25 years I have turned to the internet (against the advice of sleep experts) when I awaken in the early-morning hours. As it happens, last week I had a great discussion with a brilliant ed-tech innovator about current and emerging technologies. That night, I awoke at 2:00 a.m., as often happens. I browsed YouTube to find a lecture to watch. And that is where I came across what is perhaps the most fantastic ancient teaching technology.

I had heard about the Antikythera mechanism a couple of decades ago. I knew it was an early computing device that, mysteriously, was 1,000 years or more ahead of its time, dating from before the common era (or BC, if you prefer). But, little did I know that this device is really best described as a technology to facilitate learning.

The video I chose in the early-morning hours was from the Darwin College lecture series at Cambridge, this one titled “Decoding the Heavens.” This truly great lecture about the Antikythera mechanism was by Jo Marchant. I think this lecture may resonate with many in our field, and I encourage you to view the recording on YouTube as time permits. The incomparable Marchant is a former editor at the science journal Nature who has written for The Economist and The Guardian among other publications. She has literally written the book on the Antikythera mechanism, Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World’s First Computer.

In the briefest of description, this device was discovered sunken in an ancient shipwreck in 1900. Only decades later was it cleaned and restored enough from the millennia of sea encrustations to determine what an awesome discovery it was. It included some 30 gear wheels — though no other geared machines seemingly had been invented for more than 1,000 years. Through the 20th century further technologies were employed to reveal and reconstruct the device, and to uncover and translate the inscriptions engraved on the device. The device was incredibly complex and precise in predicting astronomical movements and events.

While the mechanism conducted calendar computations, the data for those computations were available in detailed tables and narratives. One could simply look at a table or chart to get the precise calculations that the machine provides. Why, then, build such an elaborate and innovative device? As remarkable as it is for computing, the purpose of the device — according to Marchant in the lecture — may be have been as an educational technology device.

What a revelation! This was an ed-tech device that was millennia ahead of general adoption. It is that revelation that gives me pause to question, what might be the educational technology in recent history that could be comparable in some more modest way to the Antikythera mechanism? Likely, any such comparison will be to virtual technologies such as apps or software.

Could a modern-day equivalent be found in the advent of the online learning management system that emerged in the 1990s? These have continued to evolve and increasingly encouraged the rise of sophisticated data and analytics in teaching and learning.

Perhaps, instructional design rubrics such as those by Quality Matters may be considered an impactful early breakthrough in advancing online learning. Encompassing a wide range of best practices, these have established models for effective engagement, assessment and delivery of learning.

Despite concerns today with the overuse of conferencing technologies in the pandemic such as Zoom, these synchronous learning technologies have certainly impacted our teaching and learning over the past decade and more.

As we look ahead, perhaps the advent of high-bandwidth, low-latency networks (such as 5G) delivery of live, interactive virtual reality may be the most important educational technology, enabling immersive learning experiences at a distance.

Certainly, the advent of artificial intelligence in ed tech is renewing the entire field. From data analytics to chat bots to a wide array of research and writing assistance, AI is changing the way we discover and learn.

Adaptive learning, fueled by AI, is a great step toward personalizing learning. Having taught for many decades, I found my most challenging task was to simultaneously meet the needs of a wide range of students with each student’s strengths and deficiencies.

Or, maybe, in fact, it is the medium rather than the multitude of educational technology devices and applications that are developed that will go down as the most remarkable ed tech of our time. The internet, growing out of the ARPANET of the late 1960s, may be the singular leading information and educational technology of our times. It is the interconnection of our networks, our devices and our minds that fuel the learning across distances, enabling collaborations that bring about learning and innovations that change the world.

Consider what ed-tech innovation could revolutionize the 21st century. What is now needed to advance learning in a revolutionary way? How can we create a new era of more efficient, effective and lasting learning, and in doing so further revolutionize our culture?

 

This article was originally published in Inside Higher Ed’s Transforming Teaching & Learning blog.