The Need for Collaboration in the Production of CAL Materials

Abstract

The other day a colleague of mine asked "aren't IT based courses over advertised?" The question made me think and here are some possible answers. First, I think there exist some really good examples of good use of IT in teaching and learning. The problem is that you have to know a subject very well to appreciate the new ways of explaining it. If you don't know the subject you will probably be looking at superficial aspects like nice pictures, sound and the rest. Too many programs have been developed by computer fans who want to demonstrate all the possibilities that are there. Too few programs have been written by teachers who have started by asking themselves "What are the most difficult parts for my students to understand? Can I use IT to overcome the barriers?"