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A: Urbana, Illinois, United States

Donald Bitzer Develops PLATO 1: The First Electronic Learning System

1960

In 1960 PLATO I (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations), the first electronic learning system, developed by Donald Bitzer, operated on the ILLIAC 1 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Plato I included a television for a display, and a special system to navigate the system's menu. It serviced a single user. In 1961 PLATO II allowed two students to operate the system at one time.

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