Implications of the Cross‐Cultural Transfer of Computer‐Based Education Courseware ‐‐ A Case Study

Abstract

Abstract Control Data Corporation's PLATO computer‐based educational library comprises thousands of hours of lessons which have been developed and used extensively in the United States for nearly 20 years. During a 20‐month period (1981‐1983), the use of PLATO's system was piloted within the United Kingdom to gauge the extent to which it met the educational and training needs of the unemployed school‐leavers aged 16 to 18, within the context of youth training schemes. One of the key selling points for the choice of PLATO was its extensive library of readily available courseware. The system was subjected to a feasibility study over a 20‐month period and was finally rejected in favour of courseware developed in‐house using microcomputers. Alongside the internal evaluation, the authors conducted an independent evaluation of the project and this paper highlights some of the findings of our report, particularly with regard to the implications of cross‐cultural transfer of educational software.