THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE USE OF PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION IN EDUCATION IS DISCUSSED. IN 1962 MORE THAN 100 PROGRAMS WERE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS, BUT QUANTITY WAS NOT MATCHED BY QUALITY. THERE WAS NO CONCERTED EFFORT TO TRAIN TEACHERS IN THE EXPERT USE OF PROGRAMS, NOR ANY GENERAL MOVEMENT OF TEACHERS COLLEGES TO USE PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION. PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MEETING THREE CHALLENGES IN CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION--IT CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT'S APTITUDE AND READINESS BECAUSE OF ITS ABILITY TO FIT ITS PACE TO THE STUDENT'S PACE, IT CAN EASE THE CHALLENGE OF THE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON THE SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOM AND REGULAR ANNUAL PROGRESSION THROUGH THE GRADES BY HAVING PROGRAMS SUBSTITUTE AT TIMES FOR THE TEACHERS WHO ARE NOT AVAILABLE, AND IT CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THE EDUCATIONAL EXPLOSION IN UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES WITH TEACHER SHORTAGES. IF PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION IS TO SUCCEED, MORE EFFORT SHOULD BE EXPENDED ON EXPERIMENTATION, MORE RESEARCH SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT THE LARGER IMPLICATIONS AND THEORETICAL PROBLEMS, SCHOOLS SHOULD USE PROGRAMS MORE IMAGINATIVELY, TEACHERS SHOULD BE TRAINED TO USE PROGRAMS EXPERTLY, THE SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF PROGRAMED INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE DEVELOPING NATIONS, AND ADEQUATE CHANNELS OF INFORMATION SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED AMONG INTERESTED PARTIES.