Fifth Generation Computing: Introducing Micro-Prolog into the Classroom

Abstract

The international computer industry is embarked on the construction of anew “Fifth Generation” of computers that are intended to be more accessible to the human user. The Japanese Fifth Generation project is based on the use of “Logic Programming.” In this article the authors describe their use of “Logic Programming” in school classrooms since 1980 and give an account of different styles of introduction for wide-ranging educational applications, using readily available personal computers. Emphasis is placed on clear description and explanation of knowledge areas rather than on the behavior of the computer. This provides an introduction to the use of logic and the declarative style of programming in the context of the traditional school curriculum.