This document presents information on one school district's approach to the introduction of success-based instruction. The first section defines success-based instruction, also called "predictable learner mastery" (PLM) and the requirements for having an operational system. The second section compares mastery learning with the PLM system…

The purpose of this project was to produce materials that would foster favorable teacher attitudes toward the philosophy behind mastery learning. One other purpose was to help teachers acquire the skills needed to use mastery learning in their classrooms and to determine the effects on pupils when mastery learning techniques were used. Forty-four…

Several tenets of mastery learning were examined in this study in the context of college level instruction. When students learn for mastery: (1) retention test scores should exhibit small variability and should be unrelated to aptitude; (2) test items which are classified into high and low cognitive behavior subscales should be unrelated to…

Both criterion-referenced and norm-referenced measures are useful tools to the classroom teacher, but each has its specific uses. The criterion-referenced measure is useful when one is interested in whether an individual possesses particular competencies and when there are no quotas as to how many possess that skill. It is particularly useful in…

Cognitive and affective data for about 200 college students taught by a self-paced testing method were compared with data for students taught by the traditional lecture method. Results corroborate contemporary experimental evidence concerning the determinants of achievement and indicate some advantages of the self-paced method. (Author/RD)

Maintains that instructional programs have overemphasized knowledge acquisition at the expense of skill development and affective learning. Recommends careful planning of instructional programs to include primary skills (needed for emotional and physical well-being) and secondary skills (without which one can still survive). (Author/AV)

The effect of increased enrollment is considered on: the provision of individual attention to students, degree of course rigorousness, student evaluation, and test construction. Results from Ohio State University suggest no evidence that increased enrollment has an adverse effect on scholarship. (LBH)

Examines the effects of mastery criteria on the performance and attitudes of undergraduate students who were divided into three treatment groups with mastery criteria set at 70 percent, 80 percent, and 90 percent respectively. Their performance and attitudes were also compared when mastery criteria were increased, decreased, or kept constant…

Comparison of two computer-assisted instructional vocabulary programs used with 25 learning disabled high school students indicated that the program utilizing smaller teaching sets and cumulative review exercises was more effective in helping students achieve mastery than the program using a large teaching set and no cumulative reviews. (Author/DB)

Twenty-six deaf adolescents received instruction in a structured program of cognitive education called "Instrumental Enrichment." The program addresses, among other processes, comparison, classification, logical progression, spatial orientation, analysis and synthesis, and syllogistic thinking. Following training, the subjects showed…

Programs for learning-disabled students generally emphasize basic skills acquisition, are highly individualized, use diagnostic-prescriptive methods, and are based on mastery learning principles. A more holistic approach is advocated and would include the content areas, systematic group interaction and instruction, experiential learning…

This study analyzed a remedial education program that allocated 30 minutes of additional instruction in remedial math and science per day to underachieving students. Results showed that increasing instructional time alone without varying the content does not necessarily increase student achievement in remedial programs. (TE)

Describes a system recently implemented in a Utah school system which uses computer technologies to promote and monitor mastery learning. Discusses the development of the system, including the search for appropriate hardware and software, and the training of teachers to use the system. (TW)

A test score can be used for individual instructional diagnosis after determining whether: (1) difficulty of the test items was consistent with the complexity of the content measured; (2) items measuring the same underlying process were about equally difficult; and (3) partial credit scoring would increase the reliability of the diagnosis. (LMO)

This study compared 46 teachers who were trained in and implemented mastery learning techniques with 50 similar teachers who were not trained to see if mastery learning changed the explanations they offered for their effectiveness. The results are set forth and implications for staff development are drawn. (Author/MT)