The purpose of this book is to compare, contrast, and evaluate various strategies of programed instruction (PI). The underlying view is that programed instruction implies a systematic methodological approach to education and training, an approach which bases its decisions on facts rather than value judgements. Several strategies for task analysis are recommended. Two basic presentation strategies (configurationist or stimulus-centered strategies, as found in branching and adjunct programs, and connectionist or response-centered strategies, as found in linear programs) are reviewed. The section on evaluation covers the main procedures of that task: validation, empirical testing, and revision of programs. Other chapters review research on PI, present a case history which illustrates the main procedures discussed earlier in the book, and give a guide to choosing and using PI. (JK)