Fueled by a culture fascinated by numbers and increased accountability, data-driven instruction has become a mighty force as it joins with the tools of technology to handle the mammoth task of gathering, sorting, analyzing, and synthesizing data. Success stories from districts all over the country attest to the positive results of implementing…

Presents an excerpted lecture given by Fred S. Keller, who discusses the nature of personalized instruction (PSI), how MIT began, and PSI experiences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Keller also comments on the implications of MIT experiences for educational reformers and provides his views on related issues. (JN)

The Adaptive Learning Environments Program can provide appropriate individualized instruction to students of all ability levels. The program has undergone more than a decade of development and data-based testing. (MLF)

Application of cybernetic laws and information processing principles suggests that traditional and modern teaching methods are radically incompatible, in the sense that techniques developed in the one cannot be transferred to the other without dislocation of the system as a whole. (Author/WBC)

The review of the literature on the use of room management (RM) procedures with severely disabled students concluded that RM may be an effective strategy for delivering individual instruction while maintaining high levels of group engagement in other students. RM can reduce problem behaviors and be maintained through positive monitoring and…

Examines the relative merits of using computer networks (several computers linked together and sharing a single disk drive) and stand-alone systems (self-contained units operating independently) in Australian primary school classrooms. Advances several arguments favoring stand-alone systems, which improve accessibility and enhance individual…

Sets forth a theory of social development (represented by Maslow), a theory of moral development (represented by Kohlberg), and then synthesizes these theories to develop a set of student needs and teaching techniques for each stage of social and moral development. (CT)

The advantages of microcomputer networks include resource sharing, multiple user communications, and integrating data processing and office automation. This article nonetheless favors stand-alone computers for Australian secondary school classrooms because of unreliable hardware, software design, and copyright problems, and individual progress…

To be successful, individualized instruction must be introduced gradually. Children, especially those in the primary grades, do not know how to use freedom and initiative in the classroom. They must be taught this before individualization is implemented. (SJL)

The multitext approach to the teaching of English allows for more teacher control over course content, greater variety in subject matter, easier provision for individual differences, and less financial expenditure. (DD)

The article discusses advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one instruction of autistic students and alternatives including individualized instruction in a group, group instruction, and peer tutoring. (Author)

Much debate centers on motivating student in reading achievement. Should students feel motivated from within (intrinsic motivation), or is it better to have extrinsic motivation whereby external stimuli are used to help learners achieve optimally in reading? This paper aims to analyze the two points of view about motivating students in reading…

Informal individual assessment gives teachers a broader and more robust means of determining whether a primary grade student has a firm grasp on fundamental concepts. Factors, such as students' experience, personality, interests, and learning styles shape their insights and development. Offers suggestions for teachers. (MLF)

Directions in self-directed learning for adults and perspectives for the future are discussed. The following five movements in self-directed learning are considered: the Knowles Group Learning Stream, the Tough Adult Learning Projects Stream, individualized programmed instruction, nontraditional institutional arrangements, and heuristic life…

A case study of an autistic child (now a successfully employed graduate student and author of the article) whose parents and teachers capitalized on her fixations and compulsions by using them in learning activities illustrates how the needs of drive of autistic children can be redirected to motivate successful academic achievement. (CB)