ABSTRACT

The sale of consumer videodisc players began in the USA in 1979 and in the UK in 1982. The first regular teaching uses of videodiscs were found in the fall of 1979 in university film criticism courses in the USA. Subsequently specially designed videodiscs were produced and evaluated in a variety of learning environments. The use of videodiscs by educational institutions is just the tip of the videodisc iceberg. The laser optical videodisc has arrived. Its use for industrial and military training purposes assures us of its continued existence independent of its success in the consumer market. The production of interactive videodiscs lessons is expensive, but once, if one considers producing videodisc courseware for one thousand or more students, then the total costs begin to become reasonable. If our educational goal is such that individualized, interactive education is essential to achieve it, then even the higher costs for producing computer/videodisc lessons may finally be the most cost- effective.