The challenge of structuring college curriculum to meet all of the educational needs of new students to higher education (those who would not be in college except for open admissions policies) is considered in this book. Research studies on teaching, learning, and student development form the basis for improvements in college programs outlined.…

An experiment in an introductory psychology course investigated whether gains in final exam performance, similar to those reported in the personalized system of instruction (PSI) literature, could be obtained by substituting a computer for human proctors. The course was divided into two sections, with a sample of 17 students in section 1 matched…

This document records the procedures followed by the South Carolina State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education in developing a two-year curriculum for civil engineering technology with a learner-oriented, open-entry/open-ended individualized format relying heavily on the use of audiovisual aids and hands-on experience with software and…

An experiment compared three methods of instruction in an introductory course in psychology. The first method utilized groups of three students and required that all three students meet the criterion on each unit of material in the course before being allowed to continue on to other units. This system also required that students do all remediation…

This paper describes the development and implementation of an individualized instruction-evaluation system used in a third-quarter chemistry course at Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio). The system included: (1) 20 performance objectives covering the three modules in the course; (2) an instructional sequence for each objective composed of a variety…

These units of study provide the basis for a semester long independent course of study in United States history for high school students. The major theme of the 16 units is technological and social change and how people throughout history have reacted to it. Students read, take a mastery test, and review results with the instructor. Extra credit…

Recently, educational evaluation has attempted to use the precision, objectivity, and mathematical rigor of the psychological measurement field as well as to find ways in which instrumentation and data utilization could more directly be related to educational institutions, educational processes, and educational purposes. The linkages between…

Looks at the Central Technical Community College (CTCC) in Hastings, Nebraska which has developed institutionwide individualized instruction, utilizing a self-paced, competency-based modular approach, and an open entry/exit system that allows students to enroll and graduate any working day during the school year. (TP)

Describes the Phoenix College multimedia approach to nursing instruction. Students independently follow Learning Experience Guides curriculum at their own speed, individually setting up their weekly learning tasks, and working in a skills learning laboratory under the supervision of advanced students who have already mastered the techniques to be…

A successful experiment in the teaching and learning of expository writing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is described that has been used at both the secondary and graduate levels as well as in regular college composition courses. The approach includes mastery learning, informal atmosphere, product orientation, and development of cooperative…

Three groups of college students operated under different contingencies in the same classroom. The Programmed Achievement (PA) condition required students to show 100 percent mastery on 12 chapter quizzes, at the risk of grade loss. Control students took quizzes with no requirement for mastery, and a group of low achievers tried both methods. The…

Fourth-grade students (N=120 including eight learning disabled students) were taught via the Precision Teaching Method to meet a mastery criterion of either 70 or 35 correct responses per minute. Results indicated that average or below average students needed the higher proficiency rate to ensure skill retention. (DB)

Identifies problems with much of the early drill and practice software, and describes the development of a software package designed to assist with mastery learning in chemistry. The discussion covers features of the different programs and their effect on student performance. (CLB)

Allan Glatthorn, author of "Curriculum Renewal," makes specific recommendations for the content of the English "mastery curriculum," grades 5 to 12. These include guidelines for the six strands of the English curriculum: literature, language, composition, speaking and listening, critical thinking, and vocabulary development.…

Explores, in two independent replications one year apart, the possiblility that (a) the actions of three-year-old children are guided and accompanied by self-evaluations and withdrawal, (b) that self-evaluations and withdrawal have a motivational function for persistence, and (c) that they are influenced by the mother's behavior when interacting…