So you're thinking about using CBL...

	LEARNING TECHNOLOGY DISSEMINATION INITIATIVE
Route map: Home Publications UseITThinking about CBL So you're thinking about using CBL...

'What do I need to consider before I begin?'

A few challenges facing you and your teaching

the drive to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching
the problems of time, and the balance between research, other activities, and teaching
the need to increase the attractiveness of courses in the face of 'competition' in the 'market'
the need to cater for greater numbers of students, from varied backgrounds, and to broaden access (and to offer non-traditional entry methods) to courses, and to support different forms of transfer into HE
the need to provide more flexible patterns of learning
the desire to keep up with technological developments - for example e-mail and the Internet
the expectation of students that you will be ace researcher, top manager and brilliant orator rolled into one

to train students in a range of subject specific techniques
to enable students to develop practical skills
to encourage students to participate actively in learning and to fully understand material
to help students learn and remember a series of facts
to encourage students to work collaboratively and to discuss and argue issues and cases
to encourage students' interest and competence in using IT methods

if the CBL is used well, students should react positively towards it
CBL can help in the flexible delivery of teaching to large numbers of students
students learn material effectively with potential savings in time
assessment and other marking duties may be reduced
communication with students and colleagues may be improved
there may be less routine enquiries to deal with
students can become more responsible for their own learning
some IT resources give access to documents, images, or information which would otherwise be expensive or impossible to obtain
students can potentially learn at a remote site - or from home
IT use is encouraged by Teaching Quality Assessment
using IT in teaching should help you develop your own IT skills

they can work anonymously at their own pace
CBL usually enables them to learn (inter)actively, and encourages them to do things, and to become involved in their own learning process
they usually get instant appropriate feedback
they usually find CBL interesting, varied and fun
they can work with real examples and/or practical cases
they can access a huge range of varied information
graphics, sound, animation/multimedia offer students a visual and dynamic environment in which to work
students can explore problems and obtain help in a non-linear fashion, thus encouraging them to investigate and see problems in different ways
students should be able to understand and solve problems more creatively
students will learn about IT, and feel they are studying in a positive modern department

teaching costs (in the long-term) may be reduced
staff will be able to cater for increasing numbers of students
improvements will accrue to the institution's image and marketability to students and funders
improved quality assessment ratings
flexible use of space and time
opportunities for development of distance learning programmes
good CBT fits in well with modularisation

drill and practice, where students practice particular activities having been prompted by exercises questions on the computer
microworlds or games, where students become part of a computer-based 'world' or problem-solving environment simulating reality
practicals, where the software simulates physical activities which might otherwise be carried out in a practical laboratory, and which might otherwise be expensive or dangerous
simulations, where the computer attempts to simulate real events and allows students to alter or become part of the real or imaginary situation
tutorials, where the software leads the student through a series of steps, much as a human tutor might
analysis or modelling tools, where the computer offers tools for students to build their own analyses or models
information retrieval, where the software (often on CD-ROM) allows access to a huge range of information
on-line software, offering access to the Internet and the World Wide Web
communication tools, where students and staff can communicate effectively using e-mail and conferencing
presentation software, to enhance your teaching and presentations
more general assessment or study skills software

which platform - Macintosh, PC-compatible, or other - such as UNIX?
what machines are available in various locations - on your desk, in laboratories/University clusters, students' rooms or halls, lecture theatres, your own department?
what are the technical capabilities of the machines - how much random access memory (RAM) and hard disk (HD) space do they have; what monitors do they have ((S)VGA?); what peripherals, such as CD-ROM, sound and printers do they have?
are the machines networked, and how much access to the students have to network software and hardware?
can the machines be moved, or the layout changed, to suit your own requirements?
how great is the demand for network facilities, such as printing, and at what cost to the department or students?
can students gain access to machines for private study if required?
do you have access to amenable and supportive technical assistance?
how far ahead do you need to book computer facilities and technical staff?

lack of facilities
the choice of software may not suit you
a high workload in the year you adopt the CBL - adapting to new methods and integrating the materials
you may encounter technical problems
computer rooms may seem noisy
students' problems may be repeated at different times as they work at their own pace
if students become demotivated they may miss crucial sessions
negative attitudes from colleagues
organising the CBL activities

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