This experiment was designed to (1) test the effectiveness of proximal goals in promoting performance, developing self-efficacy, and fostering interest in activities, and (2) investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and interest. The focus of the study was children's mastery of arithmetic operations in which they had displayed low…

This module is designed as a self-paced package to teach persons in educational psychology to conduct literature searches. The module could be easily adapted for use in other academic areas. The systematic method of approaching library research is divided into eight specific research skills: (1) writing an outline, (2) writing notecards, (3)…

This self-instructional package designed for art students in Grades 5 and 6 enables students to decide which set of lines in a group of lines are parallel, to show the vanishing points of several boxes by extending parallel lines, and to increase their desire to draw objects in perspective. Total time involved for the student is approximately…

Independent learning, supported by a learning contract, is a viable option for college English courses. The learning contract states the student's general educational purposes, specific purposes of the contract, learning activities to be undertaken, and evaluation criteria. Each student meets with the instructor individually to set time goals and…

The purpose of the study was to determine differences in chemistry resulting from a traditional and an independent technique of teaching. The population included four chemistry classes at Scottsdale Saguaro High School. Intact groups were assigned to experimental or control groups by random processes. The control group was presented the CHEM Study…

An independent study course in which students investigate industrially-related topics is described. The outline of the course, from selection of the research topic, progress reports, to evaluation of the students' work is provided. Merits of this experience have been evident for students in later attempts to locate employment. An appendix lists…

Independent study or distance education courses were established in 1973 at five universities in Sweden. Evaluation of the project was planned to include: (1) a description of the student population, (2) a study of the students' use of and attitudes toward distance-bridging aids such as examinations and methods of instruction, (3) a special study…

These career path training modules were developed by nursing educators. The authors state, however, that the section on prerequisite criteria for objective writers can be used to teach teachers how to develop independent study packages. In this section, 10 rules for writing objectives are presented, each of which is followed by a question with a…

Open learning is the act or process of acquiring knowledge or a skill that is accessible and available, not confined or concealed, and that implies a continuum of access and opportunity. All open schools have one thing in common: they are to a greater or lesser extent efforts to expand the freedoms of learners. The trend towards open forms of…

The effectiveness of two performance-based teacher education programs at Washington State University were compared. The programs were identical in content, performance objectives, and textbooks. In one program, however, the content was presented through independent study modules; the other program presented the content through regular classroom…

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were any differences in learning between graduate students taught to understand, administer, and score the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) by an independent study method as compared to those taught by a more traditional instructional procedure. The subjects were those students…

This paper presents a brief overview of current research on learner-centered curricular reform and of some of the issues attendant to its character and quality. Seven groupings of learner-centered reform are discussed in relation to current research and findings: performance and competency-based programs, personalized instruction, cooperative…

This illustrated book was written to encourage and share with teachers the means to develop independent learners in their classrooms. It is suggested that teachers start learning activities by scheduling a daily period when children may freely use materials and interact with others. One section of the book is devoted to organizing and helping…

This paper reports on an experimental study whose principal purpose was to determine the effect of social reinforcement and no social reinforcement as used with two formats of material (programed and non-programed instruction) to: (1) gain knowledge about the use of radio in Extension teaching; and (2) improve performance in radio broadcasting.…

The materials in this report provide a case study of the development and validation of self-instructional lessons on four topics customarily included in a first college accounting course. For each topic, performance objectives were embodied in four criterion tests. The author provides documents relating to departmental curriculum decisions and to…