Computer-aided Personalized System Of Instruction Research Articles

Using a computer‐aided personalized system of instruction to enhance the mastery of statistics in online learning

AbstractThis study compared the effectiveness of teaching a distance education statistics course using a computer‐aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) in comparison to a distance education course that used video lectures. Data were collected between 2017 and 2022. Two‐hundred and sixty‐eight students were included in the sample. Results supported that students enrolled in the CAPSI statistics course were less likely to drop out of the course and mastered significantly more material than students enrolled in the lecture‐based distance education course. It is recommended that instructors teaching statistics in distance education settings consider using CAPSI to improve student outcomes.

The Evaluation of Declarative and Procedural Training Components to Teach the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities to Senior Tutors

Declarative and procedural knowledge are important behaviors to teach when training staff. This study examined the training of staff declarative and procedural knowledge about a representative staff task—the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities (ABLA), a behavioral assessment that measures an individual’s ability to learn an imitation and five two-choice discrimination skills. The ABLA was taught to 12 senior tutors of a behavioral intervention program for children with autism. The training intervention involved the senior tutors passing mastery-based unit tests and watching instructional videos related to the ABLA. The two training components were delivered by computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI). A multiple baseline design across two training sequences (see Martin & Pear, 2019, pp. 46–49), with a reversed order of the two components, was used to monitor the changes of the senior tutors’ performance on declarative and procedural knowledge. The results indicated that all senior tutors gained both types of knowledge substantially. In addition, differential contributions of the components to training effects were observed, i.e., passing unit tests was more effective in developing declarative knowledge while watching videos was more effective in developing procedural knowledge. It is recommended that when training staff efforts be made to teach both types of knowledge—because they represent different behavioral repertoires—as opposed to assuming that it is sufficient to teach only one of these repertoires.

Editorial: Behavioral interventions and considerations.

INTRODUCTION In this issue, we are pleased to publish four contributions that all focus on the use of behavior analytic theory and procedures in institutions. Two of the articles focus on the prison population, and analyzing the verbal behavior and metacontingencies surrounding how prisoners behave and their likelihood of recidivism. The other two articles focus on using behavioral procedures to provide effective educational systems for use in both higher education and in training practitioners. Hence, we can see the value of using behavior analysis in these articles in terms of the relevance to real-world problems. Weatherly, Montes, Peters, and Wilson (2013) suggest that we look at gambling in prison populations as a function of escape-maintained behavior. The over-representation of gambling behavior among this population, and of those who gain release (and reentry to the prison system), provides a strong reason to study this behavior. This paper, rightly so, is a call to action to study this problem both generally, and specifically as it applies to prison populations. Bowman and Travis (2013) present an empirical study of verbal behavior among those who were previously incarcerated, their family members, service providers, and parole officers. Their study leads to the following position: Those who are incarcerated undergo an establishing operation (deprivation) that leads them to try to behave according to the verbal stimuli that are presented (i.e., follow rule-governed behavior). If the verbal stimuli are relatively clear and easy to follow, then the individual receives verbal praise and other reinforcers. If the verbal stimuli are ambiguous or unclear, then the behavior is much more difficult to achieve, and verbal praise and other reinforcers are less likely. In the former condition, recidivism is less likely, and in the latter it is much more likely. Here too, then is an important call to action for further research. Oliveria, Goyos, and Pear (2013) report on the use of a computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) to provide instruction for matching-to-sample training provides an initial comparison of the traditional use of a training manual versus using the manual and CAPSI together. This study is an important addition in that it tackles the issues surrounding the use of technology to provide greater access to behavioral principles and procedures for training purposes, mastery-based criteria, and the mode in which it is delivered. …

A pilot investigation comparing instructional packages for MTS training: "Manual alone" vs. "manual-plus-computer-aided personalized system of instruction."

Matching-to-sample (MTS) training consists of presenting a stimulus as a sample followed by stimuli called comparisons from which a subject makes a choice. This study presents results of a pilot investigation comparing two packages for teach- ing university students to conduct MTS training. Two groups - control and experimental - with 2 participants in each group were used. Accuracy in conducting MTS training was assessed during baseline and post-training. During training the control group received a manual, and the experimental group received both the manual and computer-aided personalized system of instruction or CAPSI. Baseline and post-training combined scores for control and experimental groups were 72.5% and 100%, and 72.7% and 95%, respectively. Results showed that the manual and the manual-plus-CAPSI packages produced similar effects in delivering knowledge in MTS training. We suggest that future studies using a larger sample size are neces- sary. In addition, we suggest that it is necessary to test new versions of the manual and the interaction of CAPSI with other components, such as demonstration videos.

Effects of computer-aided personalized system of instruction in developing knowledge and critical thinking in blended learning courses.

Two experiments were conducted to assess an online version of Keller’s personalized system of instruction, called computeraided personalized system of instruction (CAPSi), as part of a blended learning design with regard to course knowledge and critical thinking development. in Experiment 1, two lecture sections of an introduction to University course received a CAPSi assignment while two received an extra paper assignment. in Experiment 2, one lecture section of an introduction to University course received a CAPSi assignment while another lecture section was assigned a research paper. in the two experiments the CAPSi sections consistently outperformed the sections with which they were compared, indicating that CAPSi is a viable option in higher education.

Editorial: Introduction to special issue on thinking and behavior.

For this special issue of the Behavior Analyst Today (BAT), invitations were sent out to various behavioral listservs to recruit articles related to behavior analysis and thinking. I pitched this idea to then co-Lead Editors Tom Zane and Mary Jane Weiss when I was an associate editor for BAT. They enthusiastically supported this idea, and it seemed like an ideal transition for the issue as I took the helm as incoming Lead Editor. It seems that is often discussed in teaching behavior analysis, but not something that we often take the time to write about in these terms. As I have written previously, thinking about the ways in which thinking can be assessed and shaped is important (Crone-Todd, 2007). As we received manuscript submissions for consideration, I was struck by the care and thought given to written about thinking from a behavioral perspective. As we know, Skinner (1957) devoted a chapter to thinking in Verbal Behavior; however, it remains one of those topics that is not well represented in our field Since behaviorism takes a physically monist position with respect to mental and physical behavior, the processes involved in private thinking, reasoning, feeling, and other private experiences are considered to be controlled by the same respondent and operant principles and procedures as our public behaviors. However, as Skinner and others have pointed out, scientifically studying our private events is very difficult: They are indeed only truly observable to one individual. This fact makes procedural reliability methods commonly used in our field, such as inter-observer reliability, impossible to carry out. Despite this difficulty, it is also the case that behaviorists study the outcomes of behavior. Under different conditions, we study whether or not students are likely to produce different products of thinking behavior. In Education, these products might include test scores on exams, or some assessment of the quality of their papers or other written work. In this issue, the contributing authors offer a variety of ways in which thinking can be studied as a product of behavior. The first three inter-related articles are based on the work of T.V. Joe Layng, Melinda Sota, and Marta Leon, who have been studying text comprehension. In the first article (Layng, Sota, & Leon, 2011), reading comprehension is discussed in terms of two different repertoires: verbal and investigative. This approach will be of general interest to readers in terms of how to look at complex human behavior, and is a good introduction to the foundation for this work at Headsprout. The second article (Sota, Leon, & Layng, 2011) covers content analysis of the products of the complex set of verbal and investigative repertoires. There is also a call to assessment at the beginning of instruction so that those who are teaching text comprehension can start where the student is at, and thereby are more likely to shape the complex repertoires involved. In the third article (Leon, Layng, & Sota, 2011), the synthesis of how to program, and expand, the repertoires is presented. The emphasis on setting up the conditions for successful learning should not escape readers from the behavioral perspective. The fourth article, by Louis Svenningsen and Joseph Pear (2011), describes two experiments in which the computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) is shown as effective in teaching critical thinking skills to university-level students This use of a PSI course to teach critical thinking is important, since behavioral approaches to teaching are often criticized for only purportedly teaching lower-order skills. …

Performance measures in courses using computer-aided personalized system of instruction

Archived data from four courses taught with computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) – an online, self-paced, instructional program – were used to explore the relationship between objectively rescored final exam grades, peer reviewing, and progress rate – i.e., the rate at which students completed unit tests. There was a strong positive correlation ( r = .68, p < .01) between rate of progress and the amount of peer reviewing students did. This was predictable because peer reviewers had to be further along in the course than the students whose unit tests they reviewed. Students who completed all the units tended to obtain higher final exam scores than those who did not. For students who completed all the units there was little difference between the final exam performance of those who had a high progress rate and those who had a low progress rate. Considering all students together there was a moderate correlation between progress rate and final exam performance ( r = .36, p < .01). In addition, there was a moderate positive correlation ( r = .33, p < .01) between the amount of peer reviewing students did and their performance on the final exam. This correlation was substantially reduced ( r = .13, p < .20) when rate of progress was partialed out. Thus, overall, students who progressed more rapidly through the course did more peer reviewing and learned more as measured by final exam performance. Interestingly, there were students who showed good learning without much participation in course related behaviors such as completing unit tests and peer reviewing. It is concluded that the CAPSI instructional program provides a good learning environment for students who utilize its components but it also accommodates other learning styles. In addition, there may be a distinction between students who complete all assigned units and those who do not regardless of their tendencies to procrastinate.

The effect of changing grading criteria on student writing.

Students enrolled in a senior-level psychology course used a computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) to write tests, and give and receive feedback on their writing at a mastery level. Weekly measures of the number of unit tests requested, the number of unit tests cancelled, and informal student feedback all indicate that a change in the feedback to allow revision of answers increased student persistence and activity in CAPSI. Keywords: Writing, Computer-aided PSI (CAPSI), student persistence and activity ********** In Spring 2004, Delta State University surveyed freshmen and seniors using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, 2000; see Bridges & Kuh, 2004). The results of the NSSE report indicated many significant strengths of Delta State, including high levels of student-student and student-faculty interaction and many positive aspects of writing (e.g., preparing several drafts, and receiving prompt feedback). However, the NSSE results did indicate that students at Delta State engage in less writing than students at comparable institutions. As suggested by Tierney and Shanahan (1991), there is a strong link between writing and thinking. Thus, one area that Delta State has targeted is to increase is the amount of writing that students produce during their four-year undergraduate degrees. The current study began as a way to increase student reading and writing skills within an upper-level psychology course at Delta State University. This course incorporates stress on the written word through use of a computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI, see Pear & Crone-Todd, 1999). With its basis in Keller's (1968) personalized system of instruction (PSI), CAPSI incorporates many of the features of the original system (Grant & Spencer, 2003), including: (a) the written word as the main means of learning the material; (b) mastery criteria for passing unit tests prior to continuing on in the testing; (c) self-paced method for students to progress at their own speed; (d) use of proctors, tutors, or peer reviewers to provide feedback and help administer the program; (e) lectures as motivational aids, rather than as the main means of transmitting information. The growth of PSI-taught courses coincided with research indicating its clear effectiveness as a pedagogical tool that increased performance well over the previous gains using lecture or discussion-based learning (Buskist, Cush, & DeGrandpre, 1991; Johnson & Ruskin, 1977; Kulik, Kulik, & Cohen, 1979). This work showed that PSI students learned more than students taught using conventional methods. When compared with other methods, PSI courses were perceived by students as more demanding, yet were also rated as more favorable in quality and enjoyment. Despite this early advantage for PSI, the system fell out of favor for a variety of reasons. One of the key reasons was due to the amount of time for instructors to set up and administer these courses (Buskist et al, 1991). However, recent advances in technology have resurrected an interest in the PSI methodology. In particular, CAPSI (Pear & Crone-Todd, 1999; Pear & Kinsner, 1988) has been used for the last few decades at the University of Manitoba to teach several undergraduate courses in psychology, and is now being made available through the internet to serve locations throughout Canada and the United States. CAPSI incorporates the principles of PSI by focusing on small units of study. The students are provided with open-ended study questions that correspond to each unit. Students are allowed to proceed at their own pace to master the units on tests based on these study questions. These unit tests are reviewed by the instructor or two peer-reviewers to determine if mastery is met. Feedback on each question is provided, and if the answers to all questions meet mastery criteria, the test is evaluated as a pass. …

A social constructivist approach to computer-mediated instruction

A computer-mediated teaching system, called computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI), has been developed that incorporates a social constructivist approach. This educational philosophy maintains that human learning occurs primarily through a socially interactive process. In CAPSI, course material is divided into study units, and the instructor prepares study questions on each unit. The study questions require verbally composed answers. In addition, the study questions in CAPSI often do not specify any one correct answer; instead the quality of the answer depends on how well it is argued as judged by the feedback it evokes from others. All students receive feedback on their performance from more advanced students. In addition, the more advanced students learn from the answers of the less advanced students. Data presented in this report show that, consistent with social constructivism, students in a CAPSI-taught course receive and give a large amount of substantive feedback.

Application of Bloom's taxonomy to PSI.

A modified form of taxonomy from the cognitive shows promise as a way to behaviorally define and develop higher-order thinking in college level courses taught using computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI). In system, levels of material mastery are assessed behaviorally at the knowledge (or rote memorization), comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels. Here we explore their usefulness in specifying educational objectives for CAPSI courses. Research currently in progress focuses on moving students from the lower to the higher levels in our CAPSI-taught courses at the University of Manitoba. ********** The prescription for teaching a course using the personalized system of instruction (PSI) developed by Keller (1968) is straightforward, and follows the behaviorist formula: First define the behavior you want to teach; then arrange the contingencies that will establish, reinforce, and maintain that behavior. In PSI, the behavior you want to teach is defined by study questions on the course material. The contingencies are specified by the units the material is divided into, the way in which the learner's answers to the questions are evaluated, and the reinforcement that is provided for correct answers to the questions. Various ways of arranging the contingencies have been described in great detail, and validated in numerous experiments in which variables are manipulated (Born, Gledhill & Davis, 1972; Brooke & Ruthven, 1984; Buerkel-Rothfuss, Grey & Yerby, 1993; Caldwell, Bissonnettee, Klishis, Ripley, Farudi, Hochstetter, & Radiker, 1978; Glick, Moore, Roberts & Born, 1982; see Kulik, Kulik, & Bangert-Drowns [1990] for a meta-analysis showing the effectiveness of PSI.) In contrast, there is very little information on how to specify the educational objectives in a PSI-taught course. A modified form of taxonomy (Bloom, 1956; Crone-Todd, Pear, & Read, 2000; Pear, Crone-Todd, Wirth, & Simister, in press) from the cognitive shows promise as way to behaviorally define and develop such objectives. What kinds of study questions should the instructor write? Presumably, in keeping with typical behaviorally defined goals, one should write the kinds of questions that occasion responses capable of wide application or generality. But what kinds of questions would those be? Likely they would not be questions that ask for isolated facts or describe contexts having little relevance to situations in which the student would likely find him or herself in later years. These would be questions asking the student to apply what he or she has learned, either practically or verbally. Also they would probably be questions about situations that are novel and largely unpredictable, especially given that the effects of learning ideally are supposed to last for years and even decades. Early on, factual knowledge questions would be rather specific and produce discrete responses under tight control. Later, questions that evoke a wider range of applications in the world are used to help develop more creative responses that involve combining of elements. The latter type of questions is emphasized by educators (even if, for practical reasons, they are not always true to this goal), since knowledge that goes beyond the merely factual is considered the hallmark of education. Knowledge that goes beyond the factual is often called higher-level thinking. But what is it, and how do we teach it? In computer-aided PSI (CAPSI) courses at the University of Manitoba (Kinsner & Pear, 1990; Pear & Crone-Todd, 1999; Pear & Kinsner, 1988; Pear & Novak, 1996), rather than re-invent the wheel we are researching a question-level classification scheme called Bloom's taxonomy in the cognitive domain (Bloom, 1956; Crone-Todd et al., 2000; Pear et al, 2001). This classification scheme is a good starting point for behavior analysts studying higher-order thinking because it has face validity and its terms can be behaviorally defined. …

Computer-Aided Personalized System of Instruction: A Program Evaluation

We conducted an evaluation of a computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) program in two undergraduate psychology courses. The computer presented students with short essay tests on the course material and arranged for students who had satisfactorily completed various assignments to help evaluate other students' mastery of those assignments. On a questionnaire given at the end of the courses, most students indicated that they were satisfied with the use of the computer in the courses. Students most commonly cited convenience as the reason for giving the courses a favorable rating. Also, students who did well in previous courses tended to do well in the CAPSI courses.