The 1960s: Instructional Systems Development

IBM Partnerships

In 1963, IBM also established a partnership with Stanford University's Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences (IMSSS), directed by Patrick Suppes, to develop the first comprehensive CAI elementary school curriculum which was implemented on a large scale in schools in both California and Mississippi. The project used the IBM 1500 for computerized drill and practice lessons in an attempt to increase children's skill levels in reading and mathematics. In 1966, Suppes predicted," In a few more years, millions of school children will have access to...the personal services of a tutor as well-informed and as responsive as Aristotle" (p. 207).