Increases in class size, time constraints, and class material have pressured educators to develop better ways to present instructional material; this pressure has led to numerous teaching innovations, including many in the area of individualized instruction. This paper focuses on a history of critiques of individualized instruction in the 20th century, especially from 1960 to the present. The three examples of individualized instruction covered include: audio-tutorial, personalized system of instruction, and computer assisted instruction. The discussion of each type of individualized instruction includes a description of the theory and methods, a summary of the benefits as indicated by the designers, an account by the critics, and a response by the supporters; a final section addressing critiques is included. (Contains 19 references.) (AEF)