Cost/benefit analysis of interactive courseware

摘要

This purpose of this thesis is to present a cost/benefit analysis of different Interactive Courseware (ICW) packages available for use at Fleet Anti- Submarine Warfare Training Center (FLEASWTRACEN), San Diego, CA. Data was gathered from interviews with the current users of ICW software at FLEASWTRACEN and at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas, interviews with companies that develop authoring systems, and information available on the Internet. Data was also gathered from information received from software companies and reports and memorandums available at FLEASWTRACEN. The goal of this thesis was to identify a cost effective product that not only met the current training requirements at FLEASWTRACEN, but also one that would be able to expand and grow to meet their future requirements. The nature of the pricing of the ICW software did not allow for a 'strict' cost vs. benefit analysis. Since the costs vary depending on both the capabilities of the software package and the economic benefits received by the customer (which are 'soft' and difficult to measure), the analysis focused on identifying a product that required minimal investment in additional hardware and/or software requirements. Based on evaluation of the research data, recommendations are presented for future acquisition of ICW software.