Document Type
Issue Area Four
Abstract
Twenty years ago I was a graduate student at the University of Illinois. While walking through the basement of the College of Education with a professor of mine, we passed a room which several students were seated around the table. In front of each student was a large box with a screen that emitted an orange glow. They had what looked like typewriter keyboards in front of them. I asked the professor, "What is that?" And he said, "Oh, that's Plato," and kind of dismissed it. So I didn't ask him anymore at the time.
But I went back later and what I saw was truly amazing to me. Plato is very special to me because it was the first computer-based education system I ever saw. In fact, it was the first computer I ever saw. It was then that I began to understand the power of the computer and the potential of computers as educational tools. I saw how Plato could adapt to individual student needs and involve students in highly interactive learning. It was very exciting to me, and naively I thought that within five years schools would be completely revolutionized. I could visualize a time when all students progressed at their own rate, following different curricular paths in personalized, self-fulfilling instructional programs. Ah, it was a wonderful vision-a vision to which many still cling.
Journal Title
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series
Volume
5
Issue
3
First Page
89
Last Page
91
Publisher
Institute for Educational Leadership, University of Northern Iowa
City
Cedar Falls, IA
Copyright
©1995 Institute for Educational Leadership, College of Education, and the University of Northern Iowa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Dutton, William D.
(1995)
"Just in Time,"
Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series: Vol. 5:
No.
3, Article 30.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/iel_monographs/vol5/iss3/30
