Wayback Wednesday: How Parkland Played with PLATO

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.

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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.