Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning
Audrey Watters, (MIT Press 2021)
Auto-Instructional Devices (1924-1961)
Disk Machine
- Date: 1954
- Originator: B. F. Skinner
- (Not commercially available)
Foringer Teaching Machine No. 2002
- Date: 1959
- Originator and Manufacturer: Foringer & Co
- Cost: $80
Didak 501 Automated Instruction Device
- Date: 1959–60
- Originator and Manufacturer: Rheem-Califone Corporation
- Cost: $157
Auto-Scanner
- Date: 1960
- Originator: A. Ugelow, Behavioral Sciences Laboratory
- (Not commercially available)
Porter Device
- Date: 1957
- Originator: D. Porter, Harvard University
- Manufacturer: Foringer & Co
- Cost: $80
Min/Max Machine
- Date: 1960
- Originator: D. E. Cornell
- Manufacturer: Teaching Machines Inc
- Cost: $20
Program Scanner
- Date: 1960
- Originator: Earlham College Self-Instruction Project
- Manufacturer: Dyna-Slide Company
- Cost: $39.50
Visitutor Card Model
- Date: 1960
- Originator: W. Rozmus, Hamilton Research Associates Inc and Blyth, Godcharles and Jacobson, Hamiliton College
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Research Associates Inc
- Cost: $100
Multiple Sensory Stimulation Trainer (US Navy Device X11H20)
- Date: 1960
- Originator: R. S. Bushnell, US Naval Training Device Center
- (Not commercially available)
Sequential Integrated Block Teaching Machine
- Date: 1960
- Originator: J. Gilpin, Bell Telephone Laboratories
- (Not commercially available)
Visible Card File
- Date: 1959
- Originator: R. M. Gagne, Princeton University
- Cost: $1.65
Programmed Text
- Date: 1958
- Originator: L. E. Homme and R. Glaser
- Manufacturer: Teaching Machines Inc
- Cost: $5-$15
Wyckoff Film Tutor
- Date: 1959
- Originator: B. Wyckoff, Emory University
- Manufacturer: Teaching Machines Inc
- Cost: $445
Visitutor Film Model
- Date: 1959
- Originator: Blyth, Jacobson, and Godcharles, Hamilton College
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Research Associates
- Cost: Unknown
Auditutor
- Date: 1960
- Originator: R. Hedderick, Hamilton Research Associates and Blyth, Jacobson, and Godcharles, Hamilton College
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Research Associates
- Cost: Unknown
Arithmetic Machine
- Date: 1954
- Originator: B. F. Skinner
- (Not commercially available)
Arithmachine No. 1
- Date: Unknown
- Originator: D. Zeaman, University of Connecticut
- (Not commercially available)
Arithmachine No. 2
- Date: 1958
- Originator: B. F. Skinner, S. Orlando, and D. Zeaman
- (Not commercially available)
Sakoda’s Sortcard Automatic Tutor
- Date: 1959
- Originator: M. Sakoda, University of Connecticut
- Manufacturer: Scientific Prototype Manufacturing Corp
- Cost: $285
Devereux Teaching Aid - Model 90
- Date: 1960
- Originator: E. A. Smith, Devereux School
- Manufacturer: Smith-Harrison Inc
- Cost: $49.50
Self-Scoring Multiple-Choice Device
- Date: 1924
- Originator: Sidney Pressey
- (Not commercially available)
Multiple-Choice Response Device
- Date: 1927
- Originator: Sidney Pressey
- (Not commercially available)
Automatic Teacher
- Date: 1932
- Originator: Sidney Pressey
- Manufacturer: Welch Manufacturing
- Cost: $35
Drum Tutor
- Date: 1945
- Originator: Sidney Pressey and the US Navy Special Devices Center
- (Not commercially available)
Atronic Tutor - Model 680
- Date: 1959
- Originator and Manufacturer: General Atronics Corporation
- Cost: $150
Tester-Rater Self-Tutoring Punchboard Device
- Date: 1959
- Originator: Sidney Pressey
- Manufacturer: US Printing and Novelty Company
IBM Punch-Card Self-Teaching Device
- Date: 1958
- Originator: Sidney Pressey and C. Willey
- Manufacturer: IBM
- Cost: Unknown
Devereux Teaching Aid - Model 15
- Date: 1960
- Originator: E. A. Smith, Devereux School
- Manufacturer: Smith-Harrison Inc
- Cost: $15
Devereux Teaching Aid - Model 50
- Date: 1960
- Originator: E. A. Smith, Devereux School
- Manufacturer: All American Engineering
- Cost: $90
Devereux Teaching Aid - Model 80
- Date: 1960
- Originator: E. A. Smith, Devereux School
- Manufacturer: Smith-Harrison Inc
- Cost: $110
Subject-Matter Trainer
- Date: 1955
- Originator: G. C. Besnard and L. J. Briggs, US Air Force
- (Not commercially available)
Card-Sorting Device
- Date: 1958
- Originator: L. J. Briggs, US Air Force
- (Not commercially available)
Sequential Programmed Electronic Education Device (SPEED)
- Date: 1958
- Originator: Arthur Y. Baker
- Manufacturer: Education Engineering Assoc
- Cost: $400–850
Osler-Foringer Discrimination Device No. 1231
- Date: Unknown
- Originator: Sonia Osler
- Manufacturer: Foringer & Co
- Cost: $850–1300
Audiovisumatic Teaching Device
- Date: 1958
- Originator: K. U. Smith, University of Wisconsin
- Manufacturer: Unknown
- Cost: $300
Western Design Autotutor Mark I
- Date: 1960
- Originator: Norman Crowder
- Manufacturer: Western Design and Electronic Company, US Industries Inc
- Cost: $3000-$5000
Western Design Autotutor Mark II
- Date: 1960
- Originator: Norman Crowder
- Manufacturer: Western Design and Electronic Company, US Industries Inc
- Cost: $1100
Scrambled Text
- Date: 1968
- Originator: Norman Crowder
- Publisher: Doubleday & Co
- Cost: $3.95
Multipurpose Instructional Problem Storage Device (MIPS)
- Date: 1955
- Originator: L. J. Briggs, US Airforce and E. S. Walker Hughes Aircraft Company
- (Not commercially available)
Solartron Automatic Keyboard Instructor (SAKI)
- Date: 1958
- Originator: Gordon Pask
- Manufacturer: Rheem-Califone Corporation
- Cost: $3000
Eucrates
- Date: 1956
- Originator: Gordon Pask
- Manufacturer: Solartron Electronic Group
- Cost: $15,000-$20,000
Automatic-Loading Daylight 16mm Sound Film Viewer (Handy-Dandy)
- Date: 1956
- Originator and Manufacturer: Polan Industries
- Cost: $4000
Automatic Stepwise Tape Recorder (ASTR)
- Date: 1958
- Originator: J. B. Gilpin, Earlham College
- Cost: $750
Carroll Audio-Visual Auto-Instructional Device
- Date: 1960
- Originator: J. B. Carroll, Harvard University
- (Not commercially available)
A Microfilm Device
- Date: 1961
- Originator: D. J. Klaus and A. A. Lumsdaine, American Institute for Research
- (Not commercially available)
Videosonic Teaching Machine
- Date: 1960
- Originator: Hughes Aircraft Company
- (Not commercially available)
Lear Operational Assistance and Instructive Data Equipment
- Date: 1960
- Originator: Lear Inc
- (Not commercially available)
The T–3 Educator
- Date: 1961
- Originator and Manufacturer: All American Engineering Company
- Cost: Unknown
Prototype Instructor-Free Package Course
- Date: 1954
- Originator: F. Kopstein, J. Cook, W. Potter, and H. Shettel, Air Force Personnel Training Research Center
- (Not commercially available)
Generalized Electronic Troube-Shooting Trainer (GETS)
- Date: 1956
- Originator: N. Warren, D. Atkins, J. Ford, and H. Wolberts, Psychological Services Inc
- (Not commercially available)
Optimal Sequence Trainer (OST)
- Date: 1957–1959
- Originator: H. LaPorte and D. Schuster, University of Southern California
- (Not commercially available)
Malfunction and Circuitry Trainer (MAC Trainer)
- Date: 1956
- Originator: R. French and L. Martin, US Air Force
- (Not commercially available)
Polymath
- Date: 1957
- Originator: E. Z. Rothkopf, Air Force Personnel Training Research Center
- (Not commercially available)
Trainer Tester
- Date: 1954
- Originator and Manufacturer: Van Valkenburgh, Nooger and Neville Inc
- Cost: Unknown
Air-OAO Device
- Date: 1960
- Originator: H. Shettel and A. A. Lumsdaine, American Institute for Research
- (Not commercially available)
Didak 101 Pre-Verbal Machine
- Date: 1959
- Originator and Manufacturer: Rheem-Califone Corporation
- Cost: Unknown
Self-Correcting Exercises
- Date: 1959
- Originator: P. B. Diederich, Educational Testing Service
- (Not commercially available)
(If you have any more information about these devices – including photographs – or if you know of any others that should be included, please let me know.)
Pigeon image credits: Bryan Mathers