Edinburgh Napier University

  Experience in building interactive multimedia case studies has been examined and the
lessons from this have been applied to the more extensive creation of a Managed
Learning Environment, based on WebCT. WebCT serves three distinct groups:
student, lecturer and institution. However, a problem arises when the institution, in
terms of its administration, fails to see beneath the surface of the innovative
application. If for example, it views the inherent communication tools as control
mechanism it will minimise application benefits rather than maximise them.
Experience obtained from building interactive multimedia applications and from data
obtained from two years of MBA classes highlighted the intrinsic difficulties and
requirements demanded from such a construct. Unless supported, lecturers will only
comply with administration to the minimum acceptable level. It became apparent that
support of the lecturer had to be nurtured if successful applications were to be
developed. All too often it is assumed that computers are replacements for lecturers.
That the system can substitute for the lecturer. The reality is that WebCT augments
and enriches the learning process but in itself is dependent on the lecturer for its
efficacy. Furthermore, the promise of cost efficiencies associated with computer
based delivery are likely to prove more illusory than real.