A Further Study of Personalized Instruction for Students in Large University Classes

Abstract

The 161 students enrolling in a beginning psychology course were taught using a variant of Keller’s personalized instructional procedures. Course material was divided into twelve units and complete mastery of the material in each unit was demonstrated with a short written examination and a brief interview conducted by a more advanced student. Students could progress through the course material at their own rate. Data are reported on the number of students who withdrew from the course, when they withdrew, and characteristics of their performance prior to withdrawal. For students who completed the course, data on rate of completion of course requirements and level of mastery of course material are presented. Furthermore, student evaluation of various facets of the course are summarized. Of special interest is the finding that student test evaluators were rated as a very favorable feature of the course, and that there was no apparent distinction made between graduate-student and undergraduate evaluators. This suggests that the instructional manpower pool might be extended through the careful use of undergraduates in the college classroom.