Programmed Instruction versus Standard Text in Introductory Psychology

Abstract

Introductory psychology students (N = 149) prepared for a 33-item quiz by either completing 70 to 90 frames of programmed instruction, reading a standard text chapter, or reading a standard text chapter covering subject matter unrelated to the quiz. Findings suggest that programmed instruction is both an effective method for learning introductory psychology subject matter and a more efficient method than learning from a standard text. Several impediments stand in the way of programmed instruction, the most serious one being that educators do not create high-quality programs based on relevant research findings. With increasing use of computers in the classroom, programmed instruction has a new opportunity to demonstrate its earlier promise. The introductory psychology course is an ideal setting for implementing programmed instruction and demonstrating its effectiveness.