Computer-assisted learning in British medical schools.

A questionnaire survey of British medical schools requested information about school policy and resources and about departmental use of programs and computing hardware. Few schools were sufficiently involved in computer-assisted learning (CAL) to have a clear policy, nor were resources generally available for CAL development. However, at departmental level there was active development in many schools, particularly in preclinical departments. Hardware preference was for BBC micros, but IBM compatibles appear to be growing in popularity. Because of the huge development costs of CAL, collaboration between schools is seen as essential while financial resources are scarce.