The Cost of cal

Abstract

When American experience with cal and cal crossed the Atlantic, it arrived with an image of vast multi-million dollar, thousand-terminal systems. With this image there also came the spectre of replacement of teaching staff by large scale use of terminals, for, despite the high capital investment costs, occasional claims were made that the substitution might be cost-effective. This chapter studies these claims critically in the light of experience in Britain since 1973, particularly of experience gained in carrying out a financial evaluation of the 35 projects funded by ndpcal including six large cal projects in higher education in the disciplines covered by this book.²

Fielden, J., assisted by P. K. Pearson, both of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co, conducted the financial evaluation of the ndpcal. For details, see Reference 2