Program 2: 10:15am - 11:30am

Innovations in Hardware: Mission-based Developments Led Other Places

Abstract of Talk
Early discussions at the University of Illinois on how to use emerging computer system technology for delivering quality education quickly led to the formation of a very exciting demonstration project called PLATO. This project was a highly "mission oriented" effort to demonstrate "what could be done in the near term" rather than to forecast "what might occur in the more distant future". Rather than wait on the computer, electronics and communication industry to provide anticipated components, PLATO used currently available technology and augmented it with a number of hardware and software innovations. These innovations were stimulated by the need to reach the clearly stated demonstration goals relating to student response time and cost per student contact hour. In four particular hardware cases, these innovations both enabled the development of a fully operational PLATO system and stimulated significant industrial investments by a number of highly successful computer and electronic component companies. The four cases which will be discussed by the panel members are: (1) system architecture concepts to support large, real time student populations, (2) the Plasma Display Panel (PDP) technology, (3) student touch input technology, and (4) intelligent modem technology supporting long distance data communication.