Like many other studies of the effectiveness (in the cognitive domain) of innovatory teaching methods, this study revealed that for the sample of students involved, there were no statistically significant differences in the test scores obtained by the experimental group using a programmed text, when compared to the scores of those who learnt Fortran by the traditional lecture method. However, for the purposes of this study, such a finding is not of great importance per se; it was necessary as a first step to ensure that students using the individualised learning method were not academically disadvantaged. Certainly, the students who used the CMI exercises with traditional lectures (Group 2) performed better on the final examination than those who used the traditional exercises; the CMI exercises can therefore be claimed to be of positive benefit to the students. (From conclusions)