Evaluation of CAL in higher education geography

In recent years the promotion and incorporation of computer-assisted learning courseware has been a feature of many Geography departments in higher education in the UK. There is little disagreement that this development needs to be thoroughly evaluated to ensure quality and effectiveness. However there has been a lack of rigorous evaluation in practice. A detailed illuminative evaluation of 120 Geography students using focus group interviews and an attitude survey reveals that CAL packages remain unpopular with most learners. This can be attributed to the content and presentation of packages but it is also suggested that contexts of use and perhaps staff disinterest are explanatory factors. Some gender-based and age-based attitude differences are noted. This type of evaluation is of greater use to curriculum developers than objective-led approaches.