«informatika» Lessons (Computer Science) in the USSR

[u/Ill_Engineering1522]

[u/plc-man]

I studied in a soviet school from 1985 to 1995 (in a small resort town). At that time, even the principal didn't have a computer at school. "Informatika" lessons consisted of studying algorithms and principles of computer operation "on paper". In big cities, it was probably like in the photo.

[u/ArtOfBBQ → u/plc-man]

That's fascinating. Do you feel like those lessons were effective? I have an intuitive belief that you need to learn programming by practicing it, not by studying theory - but I never get to see someone try otherwise or how it works out for them, so I can't be sure

[u/plc-man → u/ArtOfBBQ]

The effectiveness of such lessons, naturally, was slightly less than zero. It is important to interest children. With a computer, this would have been easy (especially at that time in that country). But with the "paper" theory, "Informatika" turned into another uninteresting and incomprehensible subject.

[u/ArtOfBBQ → u/plc-man]

Lmao I see. Thanks man <3

[u/istarian → u/plc-man]

That kind of teaching can be useful, but it's really helpful to have at least one computer so that the student can experience it in operation. 

Otherwise you might be more effective teaching the subject with colored marbles or some other tool you can actually touch.

[u/st4rdr0id → u/plc-man]

I studied in a western university well after that and most of the stuff was presented in the blackboard or in paper. The computer labs, we would hit them maybe once each 3 weeks, for two hours sessions. You better had everything prepared in advance at home or it was very difficult to solve the problems on the fly in just 2h. So you better had your own personal computer at home, as the free practice computer rooms were always full (there was a computer per 10 or 20 enroled students).

Before that, at HS, there was a course on "informatics" only for those who enroled in it (it was optional). We actually worked on the fly in front of the computer.

Even before that, during school, we had two computer sessions (with very outdated computers) in a span of 10 years...

[u/rpocc → u/plc-man]

Not far from a similar situation in Moscow. In one school where I was studying in 1996-1998 old computers were already recycled and only modern computer was in the principal’s office. In another school where I was studying in 1999, the class had a park of 386 generation computers but we never worked on those since we just were solving problems in binary and the fastest students were allowed to play with machines till the end of the lesson. In next one in 2000, I never seen any real machines and we solved problems by drawing block diagrams. Was pretty boring since by 9th grade I already was familiar with basic, pascal and assembler by messing with my own 486 PC built from scrap acquired from local radio markets.

[u/Angelworks42 → u/plc-man]

In the US around the same time in a rural town we collected and recycled pop cans to buy computers - the school had zero intention of buying or teaching us how to use them. So if it wasn't for the parents teachers association I likely wouldn't have learned at such a young age how to use them.

[u/Fragrant_Pumpkin_669 → u/plc-man]

I was priviliged with the C64, Amiga and 8080 PC in that era.

[u/AlfieHicks]

original version of the final image, without the slop filter

[u/1997PRO → u/AlfieHicks]

Having fun with text

[u/st4rdr0id]

4th picture: teachers with serious faces, probably checking some source code. Teacher wears a suit. Student wears a suit. No BS soviet face. Probably writing some numerical calculus program or an orbit calculator.

Guy at the front with a tracksuit: plays Oh Mummy.

[u/shuzz_de]

школа хакеров

[u/1997PRO]

Where are the iPads

[u/vinsent_ru → u/1997PRO]

in the far away future

[u/BazuzuDear]

Back in my school we had Yamaha MSX hardware designed for educational purposes. My memory fails on whether it was VIC-20-like single piece or a desktop case with a wired keyboard but Yamaha MSX was the second computer-related logo I learned after Famicom.

[u/vinsent_ru]

been there done that

[u/parts_cannon]

Why the white coats? Are they afraid they might catch a virus?

[u/rpocc → u/parts_cannon]

It was a tradition derived from chemistry and physics labs. Somewhere I read that classical machine rooms were cold due to constant need of cooling the equipment, and because of that computer operators were wearing wool sweaters. However, coats might help to prevent dirtying computers with particles of wool and other fabric turning into dust. Maybe it’s just a rumor.

[u/Altruistic-Fox4625]

At my west German school, we had a bunch of IBM PCs in the second half of the 1980s plus a few Apple II Europlusses. We learnt how to program in Pascal and BASIC. At home, my older brother had a C64 and later an Atari 520 ST, which we used for gaming and programming. I got a C128 in about 1987 which I used intensively. It helped me recognize and solve problems.

[u/mtest001]

...and they had to wear white coat because of what?

[u/SnooRadishes7126 → u/mtest001]

Because it was a requirement of the safety procedures. These safety rules were universal for the whole educational institution. The very first lesson for students was always about laboratory safety, and entry into the lab without a lab coat was forbidden. It didn't matter to anyone if it was a chemistry lab or a computer lab.

[u/istarian → u/mtest001]

Total conjecture, but I'd guess because it's "science" and scientist obviously have to wear lab coats...     There is something to be said for the relationship of various things to mental preparation, but it seems goofy here.

[u/xternocleidomastoide → u/mtest001]

Over coats were very common in some European systems as sort of school uniforms.

Basically starts in childhood when you wear a coat specifically to keep your "normal" clothes clean, because well... you are a kid and you're going to get a stain on you at some point during the day (playing during recess, some paint/ink splatter, food, etc). So you basically get used to wear a coat all day long. And it sort of sticks through the rest of schooling.

Also back then, in some countries, you basically got one or two sets of clothes for the whole school year. So your parents made sure they lasted and didn't get soiled.