A review of literature on learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children is presented, focusing upon the role of the physical education teacher as a part of the educational team responsible for implementing individualized education programs. The close relationship between learning disabilities and emotional disturbances is examined, and…

Disadvantages and advantages that physical therapy and allied health programs have encountered in utilizing a mastery learning approach are identified, based on a literature review and questioning of health educators. Recommendations concerning the implementation of this approach at California State University, Fresno are offered, along with a…

Following the Migrant Student Record Transfer System skills list, this checklist, designed for non-English speaking students, is a system for rapidly evaluating a student's skill level and for keeping track of the student's mastery of suggested objectives at the third grade level. Objectives to be mastered with 100% accuracy include: spelling…

Efforts were undertaken to increase students' interactivity in an online course in adult development. The purpose was to increase students' engagement with the course materials, heighten their online discussions, and deepen their thinking about course-related concepts, theoretical principles, and research findings. Several strategies were used…

The eight papers in this compendium were commissioned from faculty and staff members to provide a research and theoretical base for selected components of a University of Kentucky report on a teaching experience involving mainstreamed elementary school children. That experience was reported in "Perspectives of an Ivory Tower Realist," a monograph…

It is proposed that the only technology that has consistently been effective over traditional education approaches is the personalized system of instruction (PSI). An overview is given of the purpose, origin, development, and use of the system. The five critical components are outlined: use of student assistants, emphasis on the written word in…

A three-year study evaluated the cognitive and affective effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on adult basic education (ABE) students at the Great Neck Adult Learning Centers. The system was used by learning laboratory students in 1977 and by both learning laboratory and classroom students from 1977-1979. The 100 students enrolled from…

Local Education Agencies in New York State initiated measurement plans that collected reading and mathematics achievement data via criterion-referenced measures during fiscal 1974-75. These measures permitted districts to detect the areas of deficiencies and the approximate instructional levels where Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I…

Alternatives to the standard lecture course in introductory economics are presented in this series exploring new teaching methods in college level economics. In this issue "elementary" or introductory economics taught at Vanderbilt University is described. It relies on two techniques: case method and self-paced instruction. Self-paced…

This paper is based on two premises. The first is that there are five conditions of readiness which determine the success or failure of educational innovations such as that of mastery learning. These are: (1) The desire to change the status quo, (2) a systematic management process, (3) effective leadership, (4) a receptive teaching staff, and (5)…

Describes aptitude treatment interaction study that used the cognitive styles field dependence and independence matched with computerized algorithmic and discovery treatments to determine mathematics achievement on a criterion-referenced test. Posttest mathematics scores and student responses to the computer are analyzed, and mastery learning is…

The Coalition of Essential Schools promotes the following principles: (1) personalized instruction; (2) student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach; (3) focus on adolescents; (4) focus on essential skills and knowledge; (5) teachers as generalists; (6) diploma by exhibition of mastery; (7) goals for all students; (8) tone of expectation, trust, and…

This description of popular private educational system in Japan, the Kumon Method, focuses on instruction in arithmetic for primary school students. Highlights include the educational philosophy of the system, instructor training, acceptance by parents, and use of the system as a model for educational systems of the future. (LRW)

Describes the Coventry (Rhode Island) Junior High School Mastery Learning Project, serving up to 55 students in seventh-grade English, eighth-grade science, seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics, and seventh-grade social studies (geography) classes. Achievement of students in the program is compared to that of students in regular classes. (MH)

Motivation for learning is important for positive learning outcomes as well as for measured achievement levels. When students come to our classes, they bring with them learning histories in which we as individual teachers, most likely, did not have an input. Our students do not only bring with them different levels of prerequisite leanings but…