Editing PLATO (computer system) (section)

=== Genesis ===
Around 1959, [[Chalmers W. Sherwin]], a physicist at the University of Illinois, suggested a computerised learning system to William Everett, the engineering college dean, who, in turn, recommended that Daniel Alpert, another physicist, convene a meeting about the matter with engineers, administrators, mathematicians, and psychologists. After weeks of meetings they were unable to agree on a single design. Before conceding failure, Alpert mentioned the matter to laboratory assistant [[Donald Bitzer]], who had been thinking about the problem, suggesting he could build a demonstration system.

Project PLATO was established soon afterwards, and in 1960, the first system, PLATO I, operated on the local [[ILLIAC I]] computer. It included a television set for display and a special keyboard for navigating the system's function menus;<ref>{{cite journal|title=Computers, Teaching Machines, and Programmed Learning - Computer Teaching Machine Project: PLATO on ILLIAC|journal=Computers and Automation|date=Feb 1962|volume=XI|issue=2|pages=16, 18|url=http://www.bitsavers.org/magazines/Computers_And_Automation/196202.pdf|access-date=2020-09-05}}</ref> PLATO II, in 1961, featured two users at once, one of the first implementations of multi-user [[time-sharing]].<ref>Two users limit was caused by ILLIAC memory limitation, program could handle more users (pp. 19, 23).
* {{cite journal|title=MISCELLANEOUS: 2. University of Illinois, Plato II, Urbana, Illinois|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Apr 1962|volume=14|issue=2|pages=18–24|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694637|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603113857/http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694637|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 3, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:PLATO 2, secret hardware archive, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA (49501291763).jpg|thumb|PLATO III terminal]]
[[File:PLATO 1, secret hardware archive, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, USA (49501791021).jpg|thumb|PLATO III keyboard]]

The PLATO system was re-designed, between 1963 and 1969;<ref>*{{cite journal|title=MISCELLANEOUS: 3. University of Illinois, PLATO II and III, Urbana, Illinois|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Apr 1964|volume=16|issue=2|pages=24–26|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694640|language=en}}
*{{cite journal|title=MISCELLANEOUS: 4. University of Illinois, PLATO II and III, Urbana, Illinois|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Jul 1964|volume=16|issue=3|pages=14–17|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694641|language=en}}
*{{cite journal|title=MISCELLANEOUS: 2. The University of Illinois, Coordinated Science Laboratory, PLATO II and III, Urbana, Illinois|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Oct 1964|volume=16|issue=4|pages=41–43|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694642|language=en}}</ref> PLATO III allowed "anyone" to design new lesson modules using their [[TUTOR (programming language)|TUTOR programming language]], conceived in 1967 by biology graduate student [[Paul Tenczar]]. Built on a [[CDC 1604]], given to them by [[William Norris (CEO)|William Norris]], PLATO III could simultaneously run up to 20 terminals, and was used by local facilities in [[Champaign–Urbana]] that could enter the system with their custom [[Computer terminal|terminal]]s. The only remote PLATO III terminal was located near the state capitol in Springfield, Illinois at Springfield High School. It was connected to the PLATO III system by a video connection and a separate dedicated line for keyboard data.

PLATO I, II, and III were funded by small grants from a combined Army-Navy-Air Force funding pool.  By the time PLATO III was in operation, everyone involved was convinced it was worthwhile to scale up the project. Accordingly, in 1967, the [[National Science Foundation]] granted the team steady funding, allowing Alpert to set up the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL) at the University of Illinois [[Campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|Urbana–Champaign campus]]. The system was capable of supporting 20 time-sharing terminals.