The Design and Implementation of a Computer-Assisted Instruction System in a University Environment

Abstract

As a result of the increasing demands being placed on our educational system, new means have been sought to help the educator in his work. One of the most promising of these techniques is computer-assisted instruction (CAI). This thesis describes an investigation into current CAI systems and attempts to isolate the reasons why the use of computers in education has fallen well below expectations. The major conclusion drawn from this investigation was that the disappointing performance of existing systems was at least partly due to their being too computer-orientated. With the observations of this investigation in mind, a user-orientated CAI system was designed. This system was then implemented under the M0P multi-access system of the University's ICL 1900 series computer. Finally, a number of trials were carried out using this system. The performance of the system and the attitudes of the users are noted and discussed.