ABS1RACT In this paper we explore the barriers which currently exist to the successful integration of computer based materials into everyday teaching and learning. These barriers are both technological and cultural. We argue that a major shift in educational practice will not take place until we change the whole philosophy of the culture of production of computer based learning materials to that of a resource based approach. Such material should be integrated with, rather than isolated from,

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... ndard computer applications and should be easily customizable and extensible. We suggest an architecture which promotes this approach based on Microcosm, an open hypermedia software platform which has been developed at the University of Southampton. We use examples from the Scholar Project at Southampton to demonstrate how this approach can be successfully applied on an institutional basis.