Computer assisted learning

Though the voices are much less strident than in the 1960s, we still hear some very bold assertions of the computer's potential as a training aid. These often come from computer enthusiasts, psychologists speculating on the practical value of their research and, particularly more recently, from computer manufacturers looking for new markets. Fortunately for the training manager, there is now more experience of computers in action as aids to teaching and learning, evidence to help him judge these claims and decide on the computer's relevance to his own situation. However, he will frequently have to extrapolate from educational or military training applications, because there are relatively few examples of industrial or commercial uses. Even in the USA, which has led the development and use of this particular instructional technology, the bulk of the work has an educational purpose.