How 80 Autistic Students Built an Amazing Recreation of the Ginormous ENIAC Computer

In an unusual history, engineering, and experiential learning project, some 80 students at PS Academy Arizona collaborated to construct an exact replica of the ENIAC computer the first electronic general-purpose computer in the world, on the 80th anniversary. The group did not just study the machine on paper, they took six months to design and construct the full-size model that accurately represents the way the original machine appeared, layout and all.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was initially finished in 1945 at the University of Pennsylvania and weighed approximately 30 tons, occupying hundreds of square feet and having an almost 18000 vacuum tubes to do the calculations. It was a breakthrough in the computing industry because it was the first step to electronic, programmable calculating, a step that brought to us the new era of digital computing.

Eniac The Massive Structure is Simulated by Cardboard and Wood.

The students did not strive to construct a working machine, but paid much attention to physical representation. Their implementation covers approximately 500 square feet, and is made up of 45 distinct units each representing the position and size of the components in the original ENIAC.

Since it would be too difficult to create tens of thousands of real vacuum tubes, the team modeled visual components with cardboard, wood and paper that are the same size, spacing, and density as the original. They even recreated the cabling paths and plugboard interfaces in pictures such that viewers can admire the density and complexity of early computer engineering.

The instructor of the technology, Tom Burick, who led the project, pointed out that such painstaking, tedious effort was a reflection of what the engineers first had to go through when they had to build the ENIAC in real life that is, hours and hours of soldering and wiring. The excruciating process made students understand not only the appearance of ENIAC but the reasons why the design was so innovative in the context of that era.

Students With Neurodiversities Thrived In an Interactive School.

The fact that the majority of students who are participating in this project are autistic makes the project particularly inspiring. In many cases, practical STEM and tasks that are well structured can be a good fit with the strengths of neurodiverse students whose strengths may be in the areas of pattern recognition, precision tasks, and creative problem solving. Even though little reports on the individual student experience were given, there has been an overall research evidence which indicates that making, engineering and problem based learning tasks create a high level of engagement and growth in autistic students as they enable them to shine in their own light and be able to put their areas of specific interest into a format that is meaningful.

The ENIAC project gave the students an opportunity to collaborate on something that was hand-on, logical and directly related to computing history – an area where curiosity and attention to detail are two effective assets.

Construction Skills were not the only way to impact education.

The replica of ENIAC is not a mere exhibition. Its construction imparted to the students the engineering design field, historical knowledge of early computers, and teamwork in large groups. The students were taught how to solve complex technical problems by consulting archival documents, as well as historical designs, centuries before the existence of modern computers by the scientists and the engineers of the computer-based world.

The replica can also be used as a learning experience to other people: visitors and younger students can navigate the panels and observe how early computers were put together and the size and complexity of the original machine.

An Ode to the History of computing and those who will make it.

The ENIAC project is one of the most notable odes to the beginning of electronic computing and the possibilities of neurodiverse learners in STEM. The combination of historical accuracy and artistic skills helped the students to not only pay tribute to one of the most significant machines in the history of technologies but also prove that, given the right enthusiasm, patience, and systematic encouragement, neurodiverse students will be able to create something truly remarkable.

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News Source: Pcmag.com