hopper, 1993 [6.4, abstract, overview, toc, switchboard, references]

6.4.2 Resources for Advanced Courseware

In the past, acquisition of resources were treated as a prerequisite to courseware creation, rather than a continuous need. This research revealed that resources were directly related to limitations experienced early in a project and continued to play a major role for as long as the courseware continued to be delivered. Educational computing initiatives can only thrive on a long term basis in communities marked by the cohesion and cooperation required to support such complex, interdisciplinary, and long term endeavors. The dilemma is trying to find ways both inside and outside of traditional structures to overcome the inherent lack of an existing support structure for courseware related activities.
 
The information and content expertise needed for courseware tended to be tied to traditional departmental academic organizations. On the other hand, technical resources and knowledge were associated with organizations whose primary mission was centered around providing computing services or performing research related to computing. A well established linkage between the source of academic knowledge and a computing organization appear to be particularly important for these projects because they employed the new distributed computing paradigm by which different groups using the system needed to cooperate to maintain stable service. Finally, providing for the continual availability of human and financial resources to support courseware was a major challenge which drove courseware projects during both creation and continuation.
© Mary E. Hopper | MEHopper@TheWorld.com [posted 12/04/93 | revised 04/12/13]