CD ROM provides a useful addition to the database resource of any organisation, the mix of on-line and CD is particularly attractive. Practitioners are attracted to the ability to use CD ROM databases without incurring on-line charges. Networks Networks have opened up and academics are running free on world wide networks finding information, communicating with colleagues and participating in electronic conferences. His system is going out to 50,000 users. Hypertext has also provided the base for Multimedia.
Multimedia programs can now incorporate text, pictures, sound, graphics, video and animation.
In the wider academic community wholesale reviews are taking place about professional legal education and universities are having to grapple with the ever tightening resource constraints within the quality context. Courseware and possibly multimedia courseware may provide some solutions to increasingly high student-staff ratios. Beware however not to dress up old or ineffectual programs with clever multimedia interfaces. With the CTI-Law Centre it is beginning the difficult process of evaluating and implementing the courseware being developed under the Law Courseware Consortium. 1994 looks like being another busy year, Strathclyde in 1995 will provide an opportunity to savour the fruit of these initiatives.