Explorations in Student-Controlled Instruction

Abstract

Several studies are briefly described demonstrating that adult learners enter a learning situation with varying amounts of relevant knowledge and that, given control of their curriculum, they tend to be able to direct their learning activities in a way that will lead them to achieve specified objectives. A discussion of those results leads to the suggestion that large gains in program improvement might be achieved by: (a) development of effective methods for detecting the relevant background level of the incoming student, and for adjusting the curriculum accordingly, and (b) development of techniques the learner himself can use to efficiently generate a curriculum which will lead him as economically as possible to the objectives. Research emphasis should thus be focused on subject matter selection as well as on subject matter presentation.