Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning - Off-the-shelf products/processes vs. Own creation

Off-the-shelf products/process	Own creation
*Related knowledge*
Generally requires minimal knowledge and skills in technology and/or pedagogy to use product/process.	Staff may need to acquire new knowledge and skills to develop it, and training support may not be available. They may enjoy the developmental process.
*Time & trial*
Tried and tested; ready to use.	Difficult to estimate development time. It could be a valuable learning process for staff and students, but students may feel that they are being used as 'guinea pigs'.
*Costs*
Purchase and maintenance costs could be high. Know exact amount of expenditure. Copyright issues might limit its use.	No cost associated with copyright but development and maintenance costs could be higher than expected. Potential for commercialising.
*Availability*
Widely available, actively marketed.	Is often known and used within a particular unit/course only.
*Appropriateness & adaptability*
The generic nature may make it possible for use across courses. It may be too generic or rigid, and inappropriate for local/disciplinary context or for integration in units/courses.	Tends to be 'purpose-built' for a particular local context. Alternatively maybe adaptable to changing situations over time within the context, i.e. could evolve.
*On-going support*
Trained support personnel generally available. Support centres could be located overseas and may not be easily accessible due to time differences.	'Free' but limited local support e.g. only the developer/designer may know how to fix problems. Absence of one staff member could cause the system to grind to a halt.
*Quality*
Generally high quality presentation, e.g. good graphics. May or may not have a sound theoretical base.	Generally functional and may not have extraneous material or unnecessary steps. May or may not have a sound theoretical base.