It might well provide an attractive solution in a climate which is unlikely to free additional staff resources to tackle the problem. The project was explained by Dr George Maguire, who showed a video. Computer-based material has been introduced to replace pen and paper tutorials on a pilot basis with Mechanical Engineering students. The room is equipped with 32 Nimbus computers and is made available in a timetabled one-hour period. At this time a CALM tutor is available.
Students can also work in their own time.
Each unit of software is structured in the same way. The theory covered in the lectures is reviewed, and the student is then taken through worked examples. Some examples are in the form of games. Thus each student in the lab has different questions. The test questions are in various parts, each requiring an answer which may include a mathematical expression.