National Development Programme in Computer Aided Learning: Difference between revisions

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The '''National Development Programme in Computer Aided Learning''' (NDPCAL)<ref>This text is a summary of a more detailed description here http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/organisations/ndpcal.html</ref> was the earliest large-scale education programme in the United Kingdom to explore the use of computers for teaching and learning.

First proposed in 1969 to the [[Department of Education and Science (UK)|Department of Education and Science]] by the [[National Council for Educational Technology]]. it ran from 1973 to 1977 spending £2.5M to support some 35 projects covering a range of subjects.

About half the money was spent on projects in universities and the rest on projects in schools, colleges, industrial and [[military training]].<ref>Hooper R., 1975, Two years On, National Development Programme in Computer Aided Learning, Report of the Director, London: CET</ref> [[Richard Hooper (civil servant)|Richard Hooper]] was appointed its Director and operated with a small central team and the programme was administered by the Council for Educational Technology.

==Origins==

During the 1960s various projects in the US and the UK using [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]] and [[mini-computersminicomputer]]s began to develop the field of [[E-Learning|Computer Aided Learning]] and there was much debate about its value and effectiveness.<ref>Annett J. and Duke J., 1970, Proceedings of a Seminar on Computer Based Learning Systems, London:NCET</ref> The National Council for Educational Technology produced advice to government in 1969 to run a national development programme to explore the value of these approaches.<ref>NCET, 1969, Computer Based Learning , A Programme for Action, London: National Council for Educational Technology</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/history/the_1960s/orig_NCET.html |title=1967 - The first NCET|date=October 9, 2014|first=Peter|last=Avis|access-date=2014-10-25 |archive-date=2016-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215100522/http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/history/the_1960s/orig_NCET.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

The [[Department for Education and Skills (United Kingdom)|Department for Education and Science]] (DES) announced in 1972 the approval by then Secretary of State [[Margaret Thatcher]] of a "national development programme in computer assisted learning."<ref>Sheridan, G. (1972) 'Go ask the computer' The Guardian Jun 20, 1972</ref> Following the announcement of the programme, the post of director was advertised and Richard Hooper was selected.

==Strategy==

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==Governance==

CET was asked to provide administrative services to the new programme, and the programme's central staff were CET employees but executive control was with a committee made up of [[Civil service|civil servants]] from seven government departments plus a group of co-opted advisers. This programme committee was chaired by the DES and held the final say on proposals from the programme director. It also involved itself in [[project evaluation]], setting up sub-committees of three or so of its members to look in detail at a particular proposal or project. Although each of the thirty projects had its own [[steering committee]] national linkage was maintained through a member of the national programme committee sitting on each project steering committee.<ref>Hooper R., 1977, An Introduction to the National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning, British Journal of Educational Technology, 8-3 p165-175</ref>

==Setting Up==

From January 1973 to early summer 1973, there was a phase of exploration and consultation and from the summer of 1973 to the end of the year, there was the setting up of the programme's management structure and of the first generation of major projects, notably in the university sector. Hooper was supported by two assistant directors, Gillian Frewin (from ICL) and Roger Miles (from the Army School of Instructional Technology). They were supported by two other executive posts and three secretaries.

The programme formulated two main aims over its lifetime (Hooper, 1975, p17):

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==Breadth of Projects==

This first government funded programme focused on their use for learning subjects other than [[Computer programming|programming]]. It supported some 35 projects, seven in schools, a number in higher education but the majority were based on the [[British armed services]]’ growing interest in developing more automated and managed approaches to training. The [[Computer hardware|hardware]] was limited; the computers were large expensive cabinets of complicated electronics accessed mainly by paper tape with [[Teletype]] printouts but already the focus was more on the way technology could be used to improve teaching and learning than as a subject in its own right.

NDPCAL funded a wide range of different projects - of different types, covering a range of subjects and age ranges sectors. Some of these, such as [[Chelsea College of Science and Technology|Chelsea College]]'s computers in the undergraduate science curriculum, developed into the computers in the curriculum project and [[Hertfordshire|Hertfordshire's]] computer-managed mathematics helped the Advisory Unit for Computer Based Education (AUCBE) at [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]] develop.

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About half the project funds were spent on projects in universities and [[Polytechnic college|polytechnics]], about one-sixth of the project funds was spent on schools based projects and the rest on military and industrial training. Some of the projects are listed below.<ref>For a full list and their details see http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/history/the_1970s/ndpcal_projects.html</ref>

* Computer Based Learning Project on [[Applied Statistics]] for Social Science, [[University of Leeds|Leeds University]] - Director: J.R. Hartley

* Computer Assisted Learning in Engineering Sciences Director: Dr. P.R. Smith Faculty of Engineering, Computer Assisted Teaching Unit, [[Queen Mary College]].

* Computer Assisted Learning in Chemistry Director: Dr. P.B. Ayscough Dept. of [[Physical chemistry|Physical Chemistry]], The University of Leeds.

* Computers in the Undergraduate Science Curriculum Director: Dr. I. McKenzie, [[University College London]]

* Hertfordshire Computer Managed Mathematics in Schools Director: Dr. W.Tagg, Advisory Unit for Computer Based Education

==Evaluation==

NDPCAL set up two independent evaluations: an [[educational evaluation]] carried out by the [[University of East Anglia]] and a financial evaluation by [[KPMG|Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co]].

The Educational Evaluation, UNCAL (Understanding Computer Assisted Learning) was carried out over a period of three years evaluation project and reported findings about CAL in general. Its findings echo many of the later findings of the effectiveness of [[e-learning]] :<ref>MacDonald B., 1977, The Educational Evaluation of NDPCAL, British Journal of Educational Technology, 8-3 p176-189.</ref>