TICCIT: Building Theory for Practical Purposes

Abstract

In 1971 the National Science Foundation contracted with the MITRE Corporation (MIT Research Corporation) for the production of an experimental system to test the computer-assisted delivery of information and instruction to homes: the TICCIT system-an acronym for "Time-shared, Interactive, Computer-Controlled Information/Instructional Television". The networking concept of TICCIT linked minicomputers through coaxial cables to color television sets. The theoretical design challenge was that the agreement with NSF specified that the instructional component of TICCIT would be learner-controlled. TICCIT system specifications produced a type of instruction that adapted moment-by-moment to the choices of the learner. THE LANDSCAPE AND THE CHALLENGEIn 1970, one of the most pressing educational questions was, "Can the newly invented computer (barely 25 years old) carry out major instructional functions in a sustainable commercial-grade way?" In 1957 Sputnik had created a new urgency for exploring educational applications of technology. The goal was to improve instruction, distribute it to a wider audience, and at the same time lower the costs of doing it. Though today we take the instructional computer for granted, in 1970 this was a big question, and there were a lot of doubters. Several problems had to be solved: computer cost, delivery cost, instructional development cost, and instructional quality. In the process theory was born unexpectedly. COSTSComputers of the day were large and expensive. A mainframe computer required special air conditioned facilities and a team of trained technicians, programmers, and operators. Input-output systems were primitive-a teletype terminal, a deck of Hollerith punched cards producing a paper print-out, or a monochrome text display with keyboard. Vector graphics were a new technology requiring programming skills. Automated graphic and logic authoring interfaces were just being developed and not ready for general use. Connecting the computer to multiple users required the use of expensive high-quality telephone lines.The costs of computerized instruction did not reside alone in equipment and delivery. The creation of instruction was expensive because each lesson was hand crafted. A lesson design team normally consisted of either a highly gifted individual with a special combination of skills and training, or a team of specialists, consisting of a writer/editor, a programmer, and perhaps an artist. A subject-matter expert was also needed to supply content knowledge. Specialized programming languages were tailored expressly for instructional purposes, but as expectations of lesson quality grew, new features had to be added to the languages, and they became quite large, detailed and difficult to learn.

Eureka! An Early Career Designer's Insight on the Design Process

“…For an early designer, reading design cases conjures up the notion that other designers deal with technological challenges with relative ease. For example, Gibbons and O'Neal (2014) describe technological challenges from the mid-1970s as minor obstacles. They noted that "computers of the day were large and expensive.…”

“…Paying attention to the affordances that would have an impact and ignoring those that would not have required considerable experience and engagement with users and other stakeholders. Designers such as Gibbons and O'Neal (2014) must have ensured all stakeholders were on board with the proposed design process. By resolving the distinct parts of the design in stakeholders' minds, they claimed that they "work(ed) toward a shared design vision" (p. 12) that enabled them to meet their goals.…”