The effects of mastery learning and student tutors upon achievement in an audio-tutorial college biology program

Abstract

The levels of academic achievement of students following an audio-tutorial college zoology course with different teaching methods are compared. Mastery learning produced a limited short-term enhancement of academic achievement, regardless of whether staff or student instructors were used. The use of student instructors with non-mastery audiotutorial teaching seemed to be the least effective. All test groups showed a marked long-term retention of knowledge, as measured by multiple-choice test items, although there were significant decreases in performance on short-answer items. Such differences between group achievement scores as existed at the end of the experimental period had disappeared three months later