Synonyms
Definition
Programmed instruction is an instructional technology based on principles of behaviorism that involves matching a learner’s ability to instruction level and successively shaping correct responses until a learner has mastered a particular skill (Lockee et al. 2004).
Introduction
B.F. Skinner coined the term program instruction (PI; 1954) and developed PI in response to problematic educational practices such as (1) aversive teacher-child interactions, (2) lack of attention to contingencies for students’ behaviors, (3) lack of instructional programs that shaped a series of behaviors into a single complex behavior, and (4) infrequent reinforcement provided to students following appropriate behavior. Skinner was inspired to develop PI following a visit to his daughter’s class in which he observed these problematic educational practices (Lockee et al. 2004). Initially, research examining PI was based on the use of teaching machines to enhance learning...
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References
Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (1988). A history of teaching machines. American Psychologist, 43(9), 703–712.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. J., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Crosbie, J., & Kelly, G. (1994). Effects of imposed postfeedback delays in programmed instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27(3), 483–491.
Kulik, C. C., Schwalb, B. J., & Kulik, J. A. (1982). Programmed instruction in secondary education: A meta-analysis of evaluation findings. Journal of Educational Research, 75(3), 133–138.
Lockee, B., Moore, D., & Burton, J. (2004). Foundations of programed instruction. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 549–569). New York: Springer.
Miller, M. L., & Malott, R. W. (2006). Programmed instruction: Construction responding, discrimination responding, and highlighted keywords. Journal of Behavioral Education, 15, 111–119.
Shimizu, H., & McDonough, C. S. (2006). Programmed instruction to teach pointing with a computer mouse in preschoolers with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 175–189.
Skinner, B. F. (1954). The science of learning and the art of teaching. Harvard Educational Review, 24, 86–97.
Svoboda, D. V., Jones, A. L., van Vulpen, K., & Harrington, D. (2013). Programmed instruction. In J. Hattie & E. M. Anderman (Eds.), International guide to student achievement (pp. 392–295). New York: Routledge.
Vargas, E. A., & Vargas, J. S. (1991). Programmed instruction: What it is and how to do it. Journal of Behavioral Education, 1(2), 235–251.
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LaBrot, Z., Dufrene, B.A. (2017). Programmed Instruction. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_931-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_931-1
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