Introduction
When properly used, a networked computer lab can provide an effective foundation for developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities. It is cost effective and offers learning opportunities that cannot be mirrored by a less well-equipped space. But is a computer lab the best environment? Do we really need a computer lab to impart ICT knowledge? Should we rather not question as to where available computers would be put to best use – in individual classrooms or in a computer lab?

This issue has become a source of controversy given equipment limitations, the need for schools to maximise computer effectiveness in promoting academic achievement, and accommodation of varied skills among teachers and students. As schools obtain more technology, the question about how to use computers effectively rarely precedes the question of where to locate them: in the classroom or in the computer lab. The two questions are essential to each other.

In this lecture we will focus specifically on the advantages and disadvantages of using a laboratory. This table identifies the pros and cons of this setting.