In an English class and a writing laboratory, dictating machines were used to increase skills of composition and to work out methods for the most advantageous use of the machines. Fifteen students out of a class of 100 used the machines for regular class work; in the laboratory, out of 70 volunteers, 35 were taught by tutors, and 35 were put to…

A comprehensive plan for the evaluation of new curriculums and instructional procedures stresses the observation of activities in which pupils are engaged while the instructional program is in operation. Through the Individually Prescribed Instruction Project conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, it was found that all observable pupil…

This report presents a rationale for the individualization of instruction, an examination of applications of these methods in elementary and secondary schools, and some implications for individualization within junior colleges. Innovative techniques used by elementary and secondary education and junior colleges were found quite similar; the…

Ten papers constitute the major portion of this book: "The Classroom Teacher, Mental Health, and Learning," Robert E. Bills; "The Development of Selected Aspects of the Mental Health Movement in Teacher Education," Ralph H. Ojemann; "What Psychology Has To Offer to Teacher Education," Carl R. Rogers; "Conceptual…

The relationship betwee n a composite of student entry characteristics--unit pretest score, number of skills to be mastered in the unit, the student's intelligence quotient and age, units previously mastered--and the amount of time required to complete one of four units of D or E level mathematics was investigated. Beta weights for the regression…

The experiment with individualized General Education (IGE) at Newark State College represents a radical and comprehensive instructional innovation. During 1959-60, the faculty formulated a set of objectives for the general education of all students. The objectives were generally concerned with the need to develop vision, awareness and…

An inservice development program was designed to insure that teachers acquire skills crucial for the operation of an individualized program, that these skills be acquired in a relatively short time, and that transfer be made to the classroom setting. The program consisted of (1) two preservice conferences covering information on materials…

A study was made to determine the feasibility, infeasibility, or deferred feasibility of adapting a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system to an existing non-automated program for providing keyboard experiences to elementary school children. A systematic task-by-task approach was adopted for the study: learning objectives were assessed, the…

A self-evaluation of Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) in mathematics made by Friends School (Wilmington, Delaware) is justified and presented in this report. First, the establishment of six objectives (student independence, mastery of basic skills and concepts, achievement rate and level; teacher diagnostic functions, prescriptive…

In reviewing the Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) testing procedures, the author notes that the assessment of student achievement and the planning of individualized instructional sequences involve valid and reliable measurement of many of the relevant characteristics of the learner. He criticizes the placement testing procedure as…

The testing sub-program is designed to provide the diagnostic instruments necessary to measure pupil progress through the Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) curricula. Its objectives are to provide information about pupils which teachers can use to direct each child's individual learning program, to provide the measurements necessary for…

A model for computer-assisted branched testing was developed, implemented, and evaluated in the context of an elementary school using the system of Individually Prescribed Instruction. A computer was used to generate and present items and then score the student's constructed response. Using Wald's sequential probability ratio test, the computer…

The effect of programmed tutoring on mathematics achievement for kindergarten and first grade children was investigated. The program used discovery-based activities, with each child working on a one-to-one basis with an adult aide. The adult tutor received about 30 hours of training in the program but no direct instruction in mathematics or…

This position paper, with certain characteristics of a handbook, is part of North Carolina's first instructional packet and was made possible through funds from the Comprehensive School Improvement Project. The focus of this paper is on individualized instruction. Aspects of individualized instruction that are discussed include: the concept of…

A scale is provided for assessing the degree to which a particular program is individualized, accompanied by instructions for administering the instrument and scoring the results. The scale consists of 70 items divided into three major sections: observation of students, student interviews, and a teacher self-inventory. Taken together, the items…