The 1980's: Microcomputers and Performance Technology

PLATO
(Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations)

For more information about PLATO, see:
http://www.cyber1.org

Another partnership between the University of Illinois' Computer Education Research Laboratory (CERL) under the direction of Donald Bitzer, Control Data Corporation and the National Science Foundation resulted in the development of a CAI system called PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations). PLATO was designed to use a mainframe-based system rather than a smaller minicomputer because of greater program and storage capability. A larger library of programs would be available for student use; more sophisticated programs could keep track of individual student's progress; and the number of simultaneous users could be dramatically increased (Pagliaro, 1983). Kinzer et al. (1986) stated that "the goal of PLATO was to deliver cost-effective, computer-assisted instruction (p. 26).

The PLATO system used a special-purpose programming language called TUTOR to write educational software. PLATO remained a small communications system during the 1960's supporting only a single classroom of terminals. Around 1972, PLATO was moved to a mainframe environment that allowed up to one thousand users to connect simultaneously (Woolley, 1994).

During the early 1970's PLATO IV was introduced, a large time-shared instructional system. Hundreds of terminals were available where each terminal serviced one terminal display and keyboard. All data and programs were stored on a central computer. Six-hundred students could use the system simultaneously to access and use interactive educational and communications software. This system allowed instructors to design instructional material at the same time students are studying lessons (Alessi and Trollip, 1985).

In 1973, David R. Woolley designed a communications software for the PLATO system called Notes. From this program other on-line communication programs such as Talkomatic, Term-Talk, Personal Notes, and Group notes were released.

The original PLATO system continued to grow throughout the 1970s and early 1980s from a classroom of about 20 students to over a thousand terminals throughout the country (Alessi and Trollip, 1985). Control Data Corporation starting setting up PLATO systems around 1975. They had over 100 PLATO a systems operating around by 1985 (Woolley, 1994).

Alessi, S.M., Trollip, S.R.(1985) Computer-based instruction: methods and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kinzer, C.K., Sherwood, R.D., and Bransford, J.D. (1986). Computer strategies for education. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Co.

Pagliaro, L.A. (1983). The history and development of CAI: 1926-1981, an overview. The Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 29(1), 75-84.

Woolley, D.R. (1994). PLATO: The emergence of on-line community.Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine, 1(3), 5.
Available online: http://sunsite.unc.edu/cmc/mag/1994/jul/plato.html