National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning

The National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning, directed by Richard Hooper, ran for five years and was characterised by a determination that:
a) Projects should strive to ensure that they became institutionalised, 'become part of the institution's brickwork and thus continue after the external funding ended. This was achieved in part by insisting on matched funding from the institution itself.
b) Rigorous financial evaluation and assessment of the learning outcomes
c) The results (for better or worse) should be widely disseminated

It made an indelible mark on the landscape of educational technology in the UK, not least because many of those involved in the projects went on to hold influential posts in the UK educutation system.

For a retrospective analysis see Hooper R (1977) An Introduction to the National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, Volume 8, Issue 3, pages 165–175. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.1977.tb00213.x
This paper sets out the structure and strategy of the 5-year, £2.5 million National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning, concentrating on some novel aspects. It discusses definitions of ‘computer assisted learning’ (CAL) and ‘computer managed learning’ (CML). The projects are then described, followed by a brief evaluation of the success of the Programme's main objectives.