Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) system have been around and widely used since the 60. PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations) was the first system that started in the 60’s and has been running at a variety of institutions up until at least 2006. How is Newton different from Plato and other original CAI systems? Lets hope that it utilizes the available computing power to provide a much higher level of perceived differentiation.
Will these systems work? As we are seeing from the cognitive research popularized by people like Daniel Pink, external motivation in a learning setting is really only useful for primarily non cognitive tasks. If you don’t want people to think but to simply memorize something then these system can work well. If you want people to really learn then the intrinsic motivators of Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose must contribute significantly to your learning environment.
