PLE-an environment for the delivery and monitoring of CBL courses and texts

PLE, the Programmed Learning Environment, is a computer-based learning (CBL) environment that was originally designed to support the delivery of courses that comprise traditional lecture material supplemented with intensive laboratory based sessions. PLE is currently being piloted in the software development and software engineering modules run at the author's university. This paper demonstrates the flexibility of the PLE approach, both from the authoring and delivery viewpoint, and also presents some preliminary results on how the monitoring data may be interpreted. In developing PLE, we aimed to make the learning process in the laboratory more independent of demonstrators and, at the same time, to provide a support mechanism that encourages private study and assists in the development of data sifting skills. The PLE software environment both supports and monitors the delivery of CBL based material.