John O. Bolvin’s research while affiliated with University of Pittsburgh and other places

A model curriculum for individually prescribed reading instruction based on a linguistic approach to reading was developed. Four overlapping stages of reading were defined: prereading, decoding, comprehension and skills development, and independent reading. Within these four stages, 13 areas of study on 11 levels of difficulty were delineated, and approximately 400 behavioral objectives were written and arranged by study area and sequenced by difficulty. The intersection of each area of study with a difficulty level was called a unit. Learner competence in each of these areas was determined by performance on four types of diagnostic instruments developed for the program: a placement test, a unit pretest, a curriculum-embedded test, and a unit post-test. Daily individual pupil prescriptions based on pupil achievement and needs were written by the teacher. The prescription directed the child to staff-prepared worksheets, disc recordings and response sheets, adapted Sullivan Associates Programmed Reading materials, or other materials. Although the emphasis was on self-instruction, group instruction for particular purposes was done on a flexible basis. A computer-assisted management system for data collection and processing designed to aid the teacher in making daily individual pupil prescriptions was developed as a part of the project. (CM)

The concern of educators for adapting instruction to the needs of individual students is placing more and more demands upon those involved in curriculum and instructional design. The role of the teacher in such a system makes it mandatory that he be provided with well-defined outcomes to be achieved by the learner, information as to what learner characteristics are related to what kinds of learning, sufficient information about each learner in order to assess his abilities, and a well-defined set of alternatives from which to select the means of assisting a learner to attain the goals desired. This would seem to suggest that those responsible for providing the necessary tools and information to the teacher must begin by defining the objectives of the system, then analyzing the inputs in terms of learner characteristics, determining ways of measuring these factors, and defining and describing all the relevant conditions related to the system. In this way only will we be able to generate information to feed back into the system to assist in its improvement. (AUTHOR)

One of the most pressing needs in education today is the adaptation of instruction to individual characteristics and background. The Individually Prescribed Instruction project (IPI) of the University of Pittsburgh represents an investigation into the requirements for and the problems encountered in developing a system for individualizing instruction. Among the working aims of IPI are the development of self-directed and self-initiated learners through instructional procedures which provide for self-selection and self-evaluation. The developmental requirements to meet the objectives include the following components: (1) detailed diagnosis is made of the initial state with which a learner comes into a particular instructional situation, and (2) the adaptation of educational alternatives to the performance profiles determined in the student population. Placement tests are given at the beginning of the year to show the relative position of the student compared to the year's end position. Pre-unit tests are also given to determine which concepts of a unit the child has already mastered. Post tests help to evaluate when the child is ready to move on. (Author/KJ)

A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF TEACHER ACTIVITY UNDER INDIVIDUALLY PRESCRIBED INSTRUCTION (IPI) IN MATHEMATICS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALIZED LESSON PLANS OR PRESCRIPTIONS. THE QUALITY OF THESE PRESCRIPTIONS IS A MAJOR DETERMINANT OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH INSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY INDIVIDUALIZED AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH PUPIL IS PERMITTED TO PROGRESS AT HIS OWN BEST PACE. THE EVALUATION OF TEACHER PERFORMANCE BASED ON A MODEL OF PRESCRIPTION WRITING SHOWS THAT INDIVIDUAL PRESCRIPTIONS VARY AMONG CHILDREN, THAT EACH TEACHER HAS DEVELOPED A PERSONAL STYLE, AND THAT MOST TEACHERS RELY ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON PRE-UNIT TESTS. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY SHOW THAT IMPROVEMENT OF IPI REQUIRES TEACHERS TO HAVE (1) CURRENT, EASILY AVAILABLE, AND COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH STUDENT, (2) A GREATER VARIETY OF ASSIGNABLE MATERIALS, (3) SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS "MASTERY" AND "SELF-DIRECTION" IN RELATION TO OPERATING PROCEDURES, AND (4) A RATIONALE BEHIND VARIATIONS IN PRESCRIPTIONS WHICH CLOSELY FOLLOWS EACH CHILD'S LEARNING NEEDS. A RELATED DOCUMENT IS ED 010 210. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION MEETINGS (WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 16-18, 1967). (TT)

Reported is a study in the Oakleaf Elementary School to test the hypothesis that variability of achievement within a particular grade approximates the number of years the pupils have been in school (e.g., in the third grade, a spread of three years is expected). Data were collected and analyzed regarding range of achievement prior to instruction under IPI, units mastered on placement tests, units mastered after one year of instruction under IPI, range of I.Q. grades, and range of achievement after two years in the program. The data supported the hypothesis stated above. (RP)