Implementation of self-paced learning (Keller Method) in a first-year course

Abstract

Describes and evaluates a two semester, first year personalized system of instruction.

Self‐instruction through reading: the Keller Plan

“…Students 1 year on are almost as good. Lewis & Wolf (1973) recommend that the chosen students should, in descending order of importance, be: dependable, articulate, willing to admit what they don't know, and knowledgable. Lewis & Wolf go on ‘…reward them appropriately; they are the keys to success of the system’.…”

Self-paced quant. A Keller-type offering of quantitative analysis or the Keller plan the hard way

“…In the course described here, only one of several well qualified and interested students served in this capacity, and even this one only after half of the quarter had passed. The others may well have been enlisted with the aid of incentives such as (1) credit in an independent-study type course applicable toward the degree, (2) credit in a teacher education course on tutoring methodology applicable to general education requirements, (3) exemption from the final examination or other course requirements.…”

“…A Keller-type offering of quantitative analysis or the Keller plan the hard way The Keller Plan (I) is a personalized system of instruction (P.S.I.) whose use has been reported in the teaching of general (2)(3)(4)(5)(6), physical (7)(8), and organic (9) chemistry, and proposed (2) in biochemistry. Many of us who have for some time wanted to get some first-hand experience with the method have been detained by the substantial support staff needed for classes even of customary size.…”

Personalized System of Instruction for the Foundational Knowledge of Organic Chemistry

“…A PSI, also known as the Keller Plan, grew in popularity in the 1970s throughout science classrooms. Classrooms that implemented a PSI saw positive effects on student learning, and the method was favorably received by students. − However, during the 1980s, interest in PSI decreased, a major reason being the substantial time commitment required to maintain a PSI coursetracking student progress and grading multiple assessments. − Because of the overwhelming positive outcomes observed when using a PSI in chemistry courses, − I decided to revitalize this type of instruction for organic chemistry with modern technology and use of a learning management system (LMS). With access to these newer technological tools, grading can be automated, questions can be randomized for multiple iterations of assessment, , student progress can be easily tracked, lecture material can be customized, and content can be organized with completion requirements to progress to new material.…”