ABSTRACT
All too often programmed learning enthusiasts have failed to see the wood for the trees. In their concern with the finer details of programming techniques they lost sight of the over-all picture. In recent years, however, attention has been increasingly focused on the wider implication of programming. In some cases this has involved taking a whole course and scrutinizing it according to programming criteria. Other workers have drawn on the ideas of systems engineering and tried to apply them to course development. We have yet to see to what extent systems theory can be applied to problems of teaching. We also need to exercise caution to ensure that we are not mesmerized by the jargon and complicated diagrams which are the stock in trade of devotees of systems theory.
