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 government fundedlarge-scale education programme in the UK to explore the use of computers for teaching. 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 in schools, colleges, universities, 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 innovative projects in the USA and the UK using [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]] and [[mini-computers such as [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO]] 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 providedproduced advice to government in 1969 forto 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>http://www.edtechhistory.org.uk/history/the_1960s/orig_NCET.html</ref> Three years later the Department for Education and Science (DES), followingAfter much discussion amongst the interested departments and an intervening general election, the Department for Education and Science (DES) announced three years later the approval by the Secretary of State ([[Mrs Thatcher]]) to 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 (civil servant)|Richard Hooper]], BBC Senior Producer in the Faculty of Educational Studies at the Open University was selected.

==Strategy and Governance==

NDPCAL's strategy was to work mainly with existing projects in Computer Aided Learning but also to develop feasibility projects with those with good ideas. It required joint funding from the host establishment and stipulated effective evaluation and monitoring processes but allowed a significant degree of autonomy to the projects. The approach of the central team was active and interventionist, working alongside potential projects in their early stages to help develop their design and approach. They also focussed on good project management requiring four monthly accounting periods and carefully controlling expenditure.<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>

==Governance==
NCET was asked to provide administrative services to the new programme, and the programme's central staff were NCET employees but executive control was with a committee made up of civil servants from seven government departments plus a group of co-opted advisers. TheThis Programme Committee, as it came to be called, was chaired by the DES and funded the work through NCET. The Programme Committee was more than just a rubber stamping committee, it held the final say on proposals from the Programme Director and 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. ThisAlthough led to 2 project proposals being rejected. Eacheach of the thirty projects had its own steering committee but national linkage was retainedmaintained because each had to havethrough a member of the national Programme Committee sitting on iteach 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. Richard Hooper was supported by two assistant directors, Mrs 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.

Hooper<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> describes their approach as active and interventionist, working alongside potential projects in their early stages to help develop their design and approach. They also focussed on good project management requiring four monthly accounting periods and carefully controlling expenditure. In this work Hooper and his team was steered by the Programme Committee and all proposals for projects and policy came to it for approval.

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

# to develop and secure the assimilation of computer assisted and computer managed learning on a regular institutional basis at reasonable cost

# 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.