A study of the use of four tutorials written in Cicero authoring language for a second level Open University course, "Biological Bases of Behaviour," focuses on why students do or do not use computer assisted learning (CAL) tutorials and students' and tutors' beliefs about the educational utility and practicality of CAL tutorials. Data gathering methods included mailed student questionnaires, letters sent to tutors, spontaneous sources such as student letters, integration of evaluation questions into the teaching materials, and in-depth interviewing of students who had not used the system. Results indicate that student use of the Cicero tutorial system was relatively low, with time given as the major reason for non-use and for dropping out. While Cicero was perceived to be beneficial, the gains did not outweigh the disadvantages. The most potent factors in system use were related not to its perceived educational benefits, but to such practical problems as students' prior negative computer experiences, fear of using the terminal, and embarrassment at using it in front of other students. Data gathering instruments, data tables, detailed study results, and an eight-item reference list are provided. (LMM)