IBM 1500
The IBM 1500 instructional system was introduced by IBM on March 31, 1966, and its primary purpose was to implement Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). Based around either an IBM 1130 or an IBM 1800 computer, it supported up to 32 student work stations, each with a variety of audiovisual capabilities.
| Type | educational minicomputer |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1966 |
| Predecessor | IBM 1130, IBM 1800 |
| Related | IBM 1400 |
Seeded by a research grant in 1964 from the U.S. Department of Education to the Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences at Stanford University, the IBM 1500 CAI system was initially prototyped at the Brentwood Elementary School (Ravenswood City School District) in East Palo Alto, California by Dr. Patrick Suppes of Stanford University. The students first used the system in 1966.
The first production IBM 1500 system was shipped to Stanford University in August 1967.
Preliminary versions of course materials that educators could use with the IBM 1500 were developed by Science Research Associates, Inc., an IBM subsidiary.
Most educational programming on the IBM 1500 system was done in the specialized computer programming language called Coursewriter.
The IBM 1500 system and its learning environment was a modern step in the history of virtual learning environments.