This essay addresses a critical problem in today's college classroom: dealing with unmotivated and under-motivated students whose inclination toward learning stems from both academic and social factors that the faculty must effectively address to meet teaching-learning goals, meet course requirements, and his or her responsibility in contributing…

Much current disaffection among university administrators comes from the preoccupation of higher education with structure and its inability to deal seriously with PROCESS. "This paper is an attempt to develop a new conception of a college in which process and individuality predominate, and structure and system are seen as means to…

Presents the reinforcement theory of learning and explains how it relates to the Keller Plan of instruction. Advocates the use of the Keller Plan as an alternative to the lecture-demonstration system and provides an annotated bibliography of pertinent material. (GS)

This paper describes a directed-study seminar course in the craft of poetry using Malcolm Knowles' andragogical principles of teaching (related to the educational process of adults as contrasted with pedagogy, the educational process of children). The background and significance of the course are discussed and procedures for administering it,…

Argues that the organization and practice of higher education is based on faulty assumptions about the structure of knowledge and nature of learning. Proposes an alternative form of undergraduate education based on the principle that learning takes place through the activity of the learner, and emphasizing the individual nature of learning,…

Describes how individually paced instruction (IPI) works, the major assumptions of IPI and difficulties encountered with them, and problems with measuring only behavioral objectives. Concludes that IPI is useful for courses that have fixed knowledge content. (ND)

Investigates the differential effect of an advanced organizer on the meaningful learning and retention of information presented to the learner in a sequential, structured program of individualized instruction. (Author/GS)

Every student at every level is seen to learn mathematics individually and personally, putting an individual stamp on each incoming perception. (MP)

Seventy-nine college students were taught laws of logarithms via the TICCIT CAI system. Most of the students were assigned to learner control or yoked treatment groups. Students assigned to learner control groups were able to choose how many instances to study. Students assigned to yoked groups were randomly yoked to students in the learner…

The theory behind curriculum branching (course options extending from the core curriculum) shows how such extensions can aid the writing curriculum by fruitfully integrating branching into the sequencing of writing courses. The theory first reminds educators of the complex mix of developmental factors and individual differences--of step-by-step…

This report summarizes a number of exploratory and pilot studies undertaken to investigate the relationship of individual differences among college mathematics students to discovery and expository instruction, and to Personalized Systems of Instruction (PSI). Research in education has often attempted to demonstrate the superiority of one type of…

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 document discusses strategies for using computer-assisted instruction to introduce graduate students in education to research and statistics. The plan's criteria for an ideal learning environment, including individualized self-paced progress, a hierarchy of well-organized and well-articulated goals, and multiple cues leading to goal…

Presents a context for the study of computer-managed instruction (CMI) and reviews research in the area. Learning theory regarding individualized instruction is discussed; the role of CMI in promoting individualized instruction is examined; and studies conducted at the University of Alberta are highlighted. A chart summarizes major research…

This paper builds a case for the use of multimedia to meet students' varied learning needs instead of relying solely on the traditional lecture/textbook/workbook approach. Piaget's theory of intellectual development is used as background for a discussion of developing teaching strategies based on individual learning styles, and various theories of…