Information Technology Reference
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ogy education, will ultimately determine the relative importance and optimal timing for a
student's use of each approach to mastering a knowledge domain (Finn & Ravitch, 1996).
The contribution of this analysis is to be understood first in terms of codifying the
moment-by-moment actions of study behaviors that are emitted by the individual learner
across several study occasions. Within each occasion, the learner reached a criterion of
mastery, which was to write a Java program correctly. By reference to these records, teachers
may communicate to novice learners the level of intellectual effort (“learning force”) that may
be required to master this knowledge domain, with or without a tutoring system. This
information may assist new learners in structuring their personal study commitment to
achieve mastery, when the process of effective studying has been documented and
communicated. Too often, perhaps, studies of training effectiveness in groups of learners
measure performance, when some learners are still in transition to mastery of the task at hand,
and there are few, if any, proven guidelines that inform students exactly how to study and
how long it may take to master a particular knowledge domain.
The tutoring system also teaches a simple Java Applet to a class of students whose
members may be only marginally interested and skilled in computer programming but may
require the latter as a technical tool. The instructional framework combines teaching, practice,
and assessment of learning that are directed to the status of the individual student. In this
way, the needs of the individual student are met with respect to the pace of learning and the
repetition possibly required to attain error-free input during successive stages in the tutor.
This approach fosters an initially positive learning experience for students majoring in
information systems, and it provides preparatory knowledge and self-efficacy that will
facilitate subsequent learning of more advanced programming topics taught with traditional
approaches. We witnessed the benefits of the programmed instruction tutoring system to
majors in information systems often enough to be convinced of its value to our students.
FUTURE TRENDS
Programmed instruction, used here as a tactic for technology education, is a general
instructional methodology that may be applicable to other knowledge domains, where step-
wise progression to a competency objective is the intended outcome. Although this chapter
focused upon an introductory exercise in Java, there is every reason to believe that this
methodology lends itself to adoption in other areas of information technology, especially
end-user computing applications. When an instructional technology can facilitate acquisi-
tion and practice of fundamental skills under conditions that do not demoralize and disrespect
a learner for lacking assumed preparation for study, otherwise reluctant students might find
accessible the experiences needed to embark on subsequent advanced study with confi-
dence. The potential applications of programmed instruction are limited only by the ingenuity
of the instructional designer who is motivated to offer technology that will provide all learners
the opportunity to reach a common state of excellence.
ENDNOTES
This paper represents the author's views and not those of the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS).
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