Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide advice to organizations on how to become successful in the digital age. The paper revisits Peter Senge's (1990) notion of the learning organization and discusses the relevance of systems thinking and the other four disciplines, namely, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning…

A review of research and proposed models on classroom processes allows identification of four key characteristics of effective classrooms in elementary and secondary education. The four characteristics encompass (1) teacher attention to student characteristics, including prior learning and learning styles; (2) congruence among the course goals,…

It is proposed that the only technology that has consistently been effective over traditional education approaches is the personalized system of instruction (PSI). An overview is given of the purpose, origin, development, and use of the system. The five critical components are outlined: use of student assistants, emphasis on the written word in…

This review focuses on recent research illustrating how performance goals show positive effects, similar to those of mastery goals. Many studies on students achievement goals and motivation have relied on two goal structures: mastery and performance. The mastery goal approach had the distinction of being preferred for its adaptive qualities while…

This paper presents a summary of research on outcome-based education (OBE). The first section provides an overview of the evolution and history of OBE in the United States. Other outcome-based models are described in the second section. The third section reviews research on OBE and related concepts, including mastery learning, cooperative…

The momentum of Outcome Based Education (OBE) appears to be growing. This paper presents an overview of OBE and its prospects for successful educational change. Successful implementation requires 3 to 5 years; the involvement of administrators and staff in the development process; the use of a top-down approach; alignment of all areas with one…

Presents an overview of the basic features of two highly related models of college instruction; the Personalized System of Instruction and the Contingency Managed Lecture. Both are based on behavioral principles and have been tested and implemented on a large scale. (Author/JEG)

A number of individualized approaches to student learning are reviewed: Keller plan, refined linear model, variable route model, modular learning model, and independent study. Each successive approach offers students an increasingly wider degree of choice to determine goals and the means of achieving them. (Author/MLW)

This study is an annotated bibliography of literature dealing with the effects of teaching mathematics by mastery learning. It is subdivided into four areas: History and Development of Mastery Learning; Mastery Learning, an Alternative to Traditional Instruction; Implementation of Mastery Learning; and Studies of Mastery Learning in Mathematics.…

Effective curriculum is based on a mastery learning model. According to Carroll's mastery learning model, learning rate is partially a function of student "perseverance" or time on task, which is in turn determined by a learner's entering repertoire and the quality of instruction. Although the mastery-learning model looks simple, its execution is…

Summarizes research on instruction-related practices and policies and their implementation in effective urban schools. Discusses outcomes-based instruction, effective organizational arrangements for low achievers, instructional coordination, avoidance of overemphasis on lower order skills, operationalization of shared values, "organic"…

Uses various equations to analyze curriculum design and teachers' planning for educational content. Explores time allocation for an educational program's different components to maximize student achievement. Findings show that substantially different strategies involving allocation of educational time should be employed, depending on program…

Literature on individualized learning appearing in the past three years includes many reports which are rewritings from the same data; however, generalizable results do exist for the practitioner. Individualized instruction systems work as well or better than traditional, conventional instruction. Students learn more, make higher grades, save…

Teacher education programs in 63 New York state colleges and universities were surveyed to determine which elements of competency-based teacher education have been adopted and the degree of participant satisfaction. Results reveal that concepts such as mastery learning, criterion-referenced assessment, and performance-based measures that evaluate…

The term "value added" refers to the assessment of the amount of learning that takes place during the college years. Two experiments, Value Added I and Value Added II, attempted to measure college students' attainment of eight liberal education objectives: (1) writing ability; (2) analytical ability; (3) sensitivity to ethics, morals,…