Table Of ContentDOCUMENT RESUME
JC 940 147
ED 367 395
Richards, Bevetiy
AUTHOR
Fred Keller and the Flex Lab.
TITLE
94
PUB DATE
9p.; Workshop Six, Final Paper (Santa Fe, NM, March
NOTE
1, 1994).
Descriptive (141)
Reports
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Instruction;
Community Colleges; *Computer Assisted
DESCRIPTORS
Computer Centers; Curriculum Evaluation;
*Individualized Instruction; Keyboarding (Data
Entry); Learner Controlled Instruction; Learning
Learning;
Labcratories; Learning Modules; *Mastery
Pacing; Program Descriptions; *Teaching Methods; Two
Year Colleges
*Personalized System of Instruction; Santa Fe
IDENTIFIERS
Community College NM
ABSTRACT
in New
The Flex Lab at Santa Fe Community College,
training center that
Mexico, is a self-paced, computer-assisted
credit courses into their
allows students to accommodate college
introductory computers,
schedules. The Lab offers courses in
emphasizes several
keyboarding, and various computer programs and
Instruction (PSI) developed by
features of the Personalized System of
curriculum which reflect the PSI
Fred Keller. The aspects of the Lab
reflected in the six
include the following: (1) discrete modules,
and Office Technology
sequential modules of the one-credit Business
in the
(2) an emphasis on individual study, reflected
course;
curriculum; (3) the use of
self-paced, independent nature of the
orientations to the lab
supplementary instruction, provided by group
(4) the use of unit exams, which is
at the start of each semester;
environment of decreased
very important in the Flex Lab
proctors, who are
instructor-student interaction; (5) the use of
Lab is open to answer
available for most of the hours that the
expedite the completion of
questions; (6) self-pacing, which helps
in a traditional
prerequisites, learn at a more flexible rate than
family obligations; and (7)
classroom setting, and negotiate work and
return assignments for
mastery, encouraged by instructors who
research of the PSI method
revision before final grading. Evaluative
retain information
indicate that students achieve better scores,
traditional students. (ECC)
longer, and show more interest than
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be made
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can
from the original document.
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LAB
FRED KELLER AND THE FLEX
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
O ffice 0r Educahonal Research and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER IERICI
R. Rirhards
ThrS document has been reproduced as
receniecl Iron, the person or organaatron
ongmahng .1
C Mmor changes have been made to rmprove
reproduCtron ouahly
opinions Stated In thrs docu-
Pornts of vrew
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ment do not neCessaray represent Whoa!
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).-
OERI posthon or poIrcy
by
Beverly Richards
EDU 540
Workshop Six
Final Paper
Santa Fe Community College
March 1, 1994
0
$3
2
Beverly Richards
EDU 540
Workshop Six
Final Paper
THE FLEX LAB
AND
FRED KELLER
door. Cautiously
The young man's gait slowed as he approached the open
Stepping inside he looked
his eyes read the sign and glanced through the opening.
around, wrinkled his brow, and looked perplexed.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
I don't see any
I mean, I thought this was a ...
"Well, I, no, I guess not.
Lab?"
exercise mats or anything. What exactly is the Flex
of new
Santa Fe Community Coilege's Flex Lab is providing a series
It is not, however, in
Mexico.
opportunities to students throughout Northern New
Flexibility in scheduling is the source
competition with the Physical Fitness Center.
the needs of a world of students that
of the name, and we're finding that it meets
college offerings. Ormrod (1990) describes
were otherwise excluded from our
the same material when given
Fred Keller's principal that "all students can master
83). Based on that theory, this self-paced
adequate study time and assistance" (p.
make college credit courses fit the
computer-assisted training center is designed to
environment.
schedules of our students in a supportive
and offers courses in
This computer lab consists of 20 IBM computers
dBase, Lotus, DOS, and
Introductory Computers, Keyboarding, WordPerfect,
and student
Desktop Publishing. All courses use texts, computer programs,
instructors and instructor assistants during
guides. The Lab is staffed by college
Instructors and assistants are available to work
the 53 hours it is open each week.
3
small groups (Halsey, 1994). Enrollment
with students on a one-to-one basis or in
31, and course work must all be
for the Spring Semester is open until March
January with 99 students enrolled and
finished by May 6. We opened our doors in
students as of February 28.
are very close to 140
the opening of the Flex Lab before
I was given the opportunity to coordinate
Personalized System of Instruction (PSI).
I read about Fred Keller's work and the
I
development, course materials, staffing decisions,
am responsible for curriculum
It was quite a relief to find that we had
and general operations of the Lab.
Fred Keller describes as important to
stumbled onto the majority of the features
describes seven main features of PSI in Human Learning
success. Jeanne Ormrod
apply to the creation of SFCC's latest
(1990) which are described below as they
endeavor in self-paced training.
outlines, or student guides
Discrete Modules. In preparing our course
1.
Office
broke our one credit Business and
to the course work, we
modules. Each one covers a
Technology courses down into six
assignments, hands-on applications,
specific topic with reading
from the instructor. Students must
written quizzes, and notes
ready to begin the next.
complete one module before they are
The Flex Lab is designed to be a place
Emphasis on Individual Study.
2.
independently. In fact, we find that many
where students will work
at home or at work. Our staff is
of our students do their assignments
questions, and most of the
available to assist students and answer
fairly well. On occasion, we have studen-s
time we find this works
the instructor to sit beside them for the duration
come in who expect
This has been a delicate situation in balancing a
of their stay.
It is
supportive environment with a reasonable amount of assistance.
interesting to observe that students who request a lot of help usually
they do actual information.
seem to need moral support more than
Supplementary instruction techniques. We do provide group
3.
We are
orientations to the Flex Lab at the beginning of the semester.
instruction at
not currently offering any other type of traditional group
Introduction
this time. However, we have recently seen a trend in wir
of ability to complete a
to Computer students that reflects a lack
have nearly
beginning module on the DOS operating system. As we
question
40 students enrolled in that class, we are considering group
minimize the extensive
and answer sessions on a weekly basis to help
this particular chapter.
one-on-one assistance required on
assignments that
Unit Exams. Each module ends with a series of
4.
lends itself to a module or
need to be turned in. Some course material
of the different course outlines
unit exam. As I have observed the use
instructors), I realized that we need more
(all written by different
knowledge of the concepts
applications which truly test the student's
testing may be
taught in that module. Where the concept of
vital in self-
important in traditional classes as well, it appears more
interaction a teacher has with her
paced instruction due to the limited
often alert the
students. A furrowed brow and vacant stare
understanding, even if the correct
classroom instructor to a lack of
5
3
1
With self-paced instruction, careful testing
answer has been given.
the subject.
plays an essential role in determining mastery of
of instructor-
Use of proctors. We currently have a high percentage
5.
instructor hours, we
staffed hours in our Flex Lab. Supplementing
students. The
have knowledgeable assistants to work with the
It is, however, essential
feedback on the proctors has been excellent.
In order to
subjects we offer.
that entire staff is cross-trained on all
and effort for cross
achieve this, we must continually allow time
toward expanding the
training. This also is a concern as we strive
Lab. At this point, we are working on
course offerings of the Flex
existing software packages,
offering more advanced classes in the
curriculum.
rather than introducing new topics to the
drawing cards the Flex Lab
Self-pacing. This is one of the strongest
6.
complete a course as a
offers. We have students who need to
with their ability to
prerequisite or for work who are delighted
(requiring intense study, but
complete the course work in a few days
students from traditional
possible). Others come to us as transfer
slowly. The
classes that they felt were going to quickly or too
schedule allows them
additional benefit of being able to set their own
issues, work schedules, family obligations,
to work around child care
school schedules.
vacations, illness, and changes in their
"mastery" as "passing a module
Mastery. Ormrod (1990) defines
7.
criterion, such as eighty percent to ninety percent
exam at a certain
When a student's exam performance does not
correct responses.
meet the criterion....the student must return again to take another
exam on the same material before proceeding further in the course"
(p. 83). Since some of our classes are graded on a pass/fail basis, we
find this type of mastery is essential to success. Teachers often
return work for further adjustments and corrections before accepting
it as a final assignment. By working this way, each student succeeds
in the class and is encouraged by his or her ability to meet the
requirements. The dropout rate for students appears to be very low.
I believe this is tied to their "engineered" success by allowing them as
much time and opportunity as needed.
One of the primary changes that I believe we will make in the future is to
implement a stronger requirement for competency-based evaluation. This, along
with a formal structure for the class, has been deemed a key element in the
I was recently assisting a student who was taking a
success of PSI (Gray, 1989).
I was astonished at the level of
traditional course which I have taught in the past.
I realized how effective
competency required for her to c omplete her homework.
her teacher's methods were. They demanded a true understanding of the concepts
as opposed to exercises that walked the student through the process.
I also
realized the value of assigning competency-based homework which required a
student to work independently, rather than having all practice work done in class.
By implementing the Keller Plan (PSI), which is designed to achieve "high
efficiency" in learning, it is reasonable to expect a high level of skill as students
master the topics (Naumes, *1977).
7
5
As we look forward to increased enrollment and an opportunity to measure
the success of our students, I am encouraged that two extensive evaluations of
PSi have indicated that PSI students achieve better scores, retain the information
longer, and show more of an interest in further courses than students in traditional
classes (McGaw, 1975). A study done at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio
reflects the same type of success. PSI students do well and often better than
students in traditional classes (Taber, 1974). Further support comes from a meta-
analysis done in 1979 which used 75 comparative studies of Fred Keller's PSI and
showed achievement is far above average with less difference between students in
college classes (Kulik, 1979).
In a paper presented at the
Not everyone sees PSI as a gold-star solution.
Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Fred Keller's PSI
solid methcds for evaluating it
was criticized on the basis that there were no
after
(Powers, 1972). However, this paper was presented in 1972, only 8 years
be accepted by the
the introduction of the theory. More recent research seems to
educational community, and it supports the overall success of the process.
without its faults, I am impressed and
Although no method of teaching
Fe Community
delighted with the progress we are seeing in our Flex Lab z..,t Santa
imagine difficulties
College. Although a variety of problems may arise, it is hard to
would otherwise
which would overrule the increase in opportunity for students we
offerings and evaluate our
be unable to serve. As we continue to expand our
its effectiveness. Who knows?
students' progress we will form our own opinion of
Center!
We may even expand to compete with the Fitness
8
6
References
speed
Gray, P. L. (1989). An alternative to PSI in the basic course in
instruction
communications: The structured model of competency-based
Communication
(SMCI). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Speech
Association.
El Aviso, $(2), 9.
Halsey, D. (1994). New flex lab gives students flexible options.
Keller's
Kulik, J. A. (1979, April). A meta-analysis of outcome studies of
307-318.
personalized system of instruction. American Psys_bpluisj, pp.
McGaw, D. (1975). Personalized systems of instruction. Paper presented at
Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association.
responsibility of
Naumes, M. (1977). The Keller plan: A method for putting the
for Research
learning upon the student. Cincinnati University, Ohio, Institute
and Training in Higher Education.
and educational
Ormrod, J. (1990). Human learning: Theories, principles,
applications. New York: Merrill.
How Evaluate. Paper
Powers, R. B. (1972). Personalized systems of instruction:
Mountain Psychological
presented at the Annual Meeting of the Rocky
Association.
individualized instruction and
Taber, M. R. (1974). A comparison of using
section of electric circuits 540-
conventional lecture techniques in the lecture
126. Practicum presented to Nova University.
9
