This study evaluated syllabi (N = 87) from introductory advertising and public relations courses to examine to what extent and how stated course goals and assignments signal the overall learning orientation of a course and which type of learning orientation--mastery or performance--was most common. Mastery orientations emphasize intrinsic rewards,…

A new approach for teaching veterinary pathology instituted at the University of Georgia in 1970 is evaluated. Each student was told what was required in the form of behavioral objectives, given alternate sources of information in the form of autotutorial minicourses, and evaluated by formative, summative and mastery means. (Author/MLW)

An investigation was undertaken of end-of-course reactions of students who experienced varying numbers of test-taking failures during an introductory psychology course presented under two different formats: a mastery structure (multiple study/test options and absolute grading standards) and a conventional structure (one try on each midterm with…

This paper describes the development and implementation of an individualized instruction-evaluation system used in a third-quarter chemistry course at Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio). The system included: (1) 20 performance objectives covering the three modules in the course; (2) an instructional sequence for each objective composed of a variety…

A basic writing course designed for college freshmen who do not score high enough on entrance examinations to qualify for regular composition courses emphasizes the positive aspects of a student's writing. The nongraded course consists of four components: journal writing, grammar instruction, in-class paragraph writing, and controlled composition.…

Two fundamental components of behavioral instruction were investigated: the reported testing feature and absolute performance standards. The component analysis was conducted by offering an undergraduate psychology course simultaneously along two dimensions: grading systems and number of study/test cycles. The 425 college student subjects were…