The personalized system of instruction (PSI) is presented as a teaching system with characteristics that render it especially vulnerable to being misused or abused by teachers, students, and administrators. Examples are provided along with reasons why misuse and abuse may contribute to negative attitudes about the system. (Author)

Online learning has enjoyed increasing popularity in gerontology. This paper presents instructional strategies grounded in Fink's (2003) theory of significant learning designed for the completely asynchronous online gerontology classroom. It links these components with the development of mastery learning goals and provides specific guidelines for…

Describes how the spiral curriculum, which introduces theater in elementary school, provides a basis for mastery teaching. Provides ideas for curriculum development, management, facilities, equipment, and costuming for the elementary, junior high, and high school programs. (PRA)

Explores whether the skills management systems, based on the mastery learning theory, can be used to foster creative reading--the highest level of skill development. (FL)

Describes a means to achieve the basic goals of a psychology of women course through stimulating reading and examining book authors' feminist positions. Maintains this approach provides students with an intellectual, rather than emotional, examination of value-laden materials. Provides book titles and statistical data documenting effectiveness.…

The author's adaptation of a mastery learning program to a Beginning Algebra course is described. Test score averages clearly increased. (MNS)

Discusses the planning, development, implementation, and course management required to use the Personalized System of Instruction in the basic speech communication course. (PD)

The author outlines a process, suitable to any grade level or subject, for forming small instructional groups for mastery learning. (SJL)

Analyzes the procedures used in mastery learning to determine if they are consistent with those of the skills management approach to reading instruction. Concludes that they are not. (FL)

Describes the use of microcomputer demonstrations as a motivating tool in a college psychology course that uses a mastery-based Personalized System of Instruction (PSI). The eight modules that make up the course and the 14 computer-oriented programs associated with them are explained, and an appendix includes student instructions. (eight…

The differences between drill activities and practice activities and the reasons why there are differences are discussed. Two games that uses playing cards to provide students with untimed opportunities to practice their facts are described. (KR)

Discusses the effectiveness of the cooperative/mastery learning method on primary-grade students' acquisition of economic concepts. Provides a sample lesson that shows how cooperative and mastery methods can be combined and used in conjunction with real-life learning experiences when teaching social studies. Offers an economic fable to introduce…

An experimental program in New York City to improve the rate of success in first-year algebra is described. Students, teachers, techniques used, and Regents Examination results in the double-period class are described. (MNS)

Presents a rationale for using a Mastery Learning approach to competency-based education in public speaking. Identifies assumptions and applications of such an approach and describes procedures for teaching public speaking competence on this basis. (JMF)

Discusses the effects of mastery learning and criterion-referenced grading schemes on student memory and motivation to succeed. Indicates that such programs are effective in college level developmental education programs. Provides suggestions for establishing criterion-referenced grading schemes, including several variants of mastery grading…