University teachers and administrators require convincing that it is worthwhile to invest in IT for their teaching. The kinds of evidence demanded varies considerably, but the TILT staff have found that among the most compelling are results from a properly conducted analysed and reported evaluation process, favourable case studies showing the successful integration of IT into the curriculum, and an enthusiastic response from students. There are many roles in a university, with diverse perceptions, attitudes and objectives that will influence their reaction to proposed changes. Institutions may be organised in a highly managerial way, or or more collegiate. Curricula stress becoming a subject expert, or gaining generally transferable skills.
Staff have various models of what is important in their teaching.
Individuals perceive how new learning technologies present opportunities and threats to their ability to balance their many objectives and priorities. Even within a single institution, such as the University of Glasgow, there are many different perceptions of the ways in which such a large complex organisation behaves. To a large extent, we could draw conclusions about other institutions from observing, and participating in, large subdivisions of a single one. Amongst the literature that were helpful for interpreting our own observations, the publication of Dixon 1992 and Middlehurst 1993 are worth mentioning. Universities were undergoing rapid change.