Software Engineering Institute

This report provides a wide view of the costs, risks, and benefits associated with instructional technology alternatives. The number and variety of possible paths to learning through this technology have increased markedly in recent years with the advent of interactive multimedia, satellite communications, and the Internet. More than ever before, learning technologies have created new educational possibilities for people and organizations. In this era of increasing financial stringency, we are obligated to examine these new possibilities in light of their obvious advantages: replication of high-quality instruction, lower overall costs, increased quality in educational outcomes, and the ability to provide these benefits over long distances. This report will show that with today's computer-based instructional technology, the question is no longer whether to use the technology, but rather how to use it.