Lately, the
Parkland Library has been promoting a lot of technology options available for
you to borrow: Kindles, laptops, tablets, video cameras, not to mention our new
DIY media production center now available for you to reserve. We wanted to show a picture of some of our
new technology. And… here it is:
Just kidding.
Actually, this photo, ca. 1969, shows a Parkland student using one of the first
PLATO terminals installed in the Learning Resource Center when Parkland was
still in downtown Champaign.
What is
PLATO? Well, if you Google “Plato” your first hits would naturally send you to
sites about the Greek philosopher, but PLATO is also the acronym for
Programmed
Logic for Automated Teaching Operations, a computer-based, networked
instruction system developed by the University of Illinois beginning in 1960. In 1968, Parkland was identified as one of a
handful of charter demonstration sites and was provided a lab of twelve
terminals.
Some faculty
members were very excited about this cooperative effort with the University.
From a June 17, 1968, memo to Parkland faculty from Gerald LaMarsh, Chairman of
Parkland-PLATO Involvement, promoting a hands-on demonstration event:
I can honestly say, having been
connected to the PLATO project for the past nine months, it will be anything
but a dull session. If
Mr.
[Donald] Bitzer and his PLATO tribe do not turn you on with some of the
potentials contained in their concepts, theories, and methods of learning and
information dissemination, we need not bother to consider other methods since
the state of being “turned on” will not be as vibrant as it was during the
launching of this institution.
Minutes from
the PLATO Committee, May 28, 1968, also suggest that more than a few faculty
might have been uncomfortable with the addition of new technology:
Consensus was that the principal
objective of involving large numbers of Parkland people with PLATO would be to
break down fears of working with a computer, to teach our people techniques of
programming, and to come to some conclusions about whether this is a really
useful teaching-learning device for our purposes.
PLATO
employed a computer language called Tutor, which allowed instructors to focus
more on the content of their lessons rather than the programming. Ultimately, the faculty at Parkland used PLATO
to teach lessons in Accounting, Automotive, Biology, Chemistry, Data
Processing, Drafting, Electronics, English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Micro
Precision Technology, Physics, Statistics, Typing, and Veterinary Medicine. Modes
of instruction included drill and practice activities, gaming, tutorials, and
case simulations. There were also programs for data collection and student
record keeping
Of all the
departments using PLATO, the Nursing program was the most active, using the
system to connect students’ clinical experiences with classroom instruction.
 |
| Plato
Lab ca. 1980s. Combining old and new, these terminals included plasma
touchscreens and microfiche
projectors. |
Parkland
maintained a PLATO lab for over two decades, serving not only students, but
also the 505 community. Eventually, outdated terminals and support issues led
to its decline in the early 90s. By 1990, maximum usage was at 15% of total
capacity, and the number of terminals was reduced to accommodate more cost
effective and modern microcomputers – those with which Parkland students had a
greater chance of experiencing in “real life.” PLATO continued under its new
name, NovaNet, until 1996, and then the lab quietly went away, but not without first
leaving a tremendous impact on how we teach and how we learn at Parkland.
***
Don’t forget
to check out our display in the College Center to learn more about all the
technology options available for you at the Parkland Library.
Share your memories of PLATO by leaving a comment! We’d love to hear from you!
If you have
any questions or topics you’d like to see featured in Wayback Wednesday, drop
us a line at
archives@parkland.edu.
