3.608 acronyms, cont. (38)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca)
Thu, 19 Oct 89 20:36:29 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 608. Thursday, 19 Oct 1989.
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 89 11:16:14 CDT
From: "Norman D. Hinton" <SSUBIT12@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Acronyms again yet once more
The proliferation of acronyms seems to go with the territory: at least
in earlier days, acronyms, sometimes straightforward, sometimes un-
bearably cute, were standard ways of naming computers and computer pro-
grams (e.g. HAL). More recently, commercial developers have been
abandoning the practice. Though PLATO once was an acronym, the PLATO
people are now embarrassed by it and no longer even admit that it once
was was Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations (UGH !!).
The others listed are more standard acronyms which will probably survive
though they have been proliferated unduly. I am most familiar with
CAI (cee-eh-eye) Conmputer Assisted (or Aided) Instruction
CBT (cee-bee-tee) Computer Based Training
CMT (cee-em-tee) Computer Managed Instruction
As far as I can tell, from years in ADCIS (Association for the Development
of Computer Instructional Systems...I am on their journal editorial board),
CMT is generally understood to refer to computer gradebooks, computer-based
assignment schedules, etc. I can discern no difference between CAI and
CBT except that "Training" often refers to technical instruction (how to
repair carburetors, field strip a rifle, wire circuits, etc.) and that the
tech. ed. people seem to like having their own acronym.
Personally, I am happy with CAI as the generic term for all kinds of
instruction via computers and widh the others would go away. But they
won't.