National Development Programme in Computer Aided Learning: Difference between revisions

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The '''National Development Programme in Computer Aided Learning''' (NDPCAL) was the earliest large-scale education programme in the UK to explore the use of computers for teaching and learning. First proposed to the [[Department of Education and Science]] by the National Council for Educational Technology in 1969 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.

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# to make recommendations to appropriate agencies in the public and private sector (including Government) concerning possible future levels and types of investment in computer assisted and computer managed learning in education and training.

Two evaluations were set up, one to consider the educational benefits and one to consider the financial aspects.

==Breadth of Projects==

This first government funded programme to look at the use of computers focused on their use for learning other subjects rather than about computers or programming them. It supported some 35 projects, seven in schools, a number in higher education but the majority were based on the armed services’ growing interest in developing more automated and managed approaches to training. The 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. This dichotomy continues throughout this history and different policies struggled with, and often confused this difference.

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# At present CAL development requires access to high level computer expertise.

The financial evaluation reported some tentative but interesting conclusions in their study that again reflect later findings on [[e-learning]]: <ref>Fielden J., 1977, The Financial Evaluation of NDPCAL, British Journal of Educational Technology, 8-3 p190-200</ref>

# CAL will always be an extra cost