An Experiential Partnership for Effective Self-Paced Education

Abstract

The XPRT project's primary objectives were: 1. to cooperatively develop self-paced, PSI/Keller course materials in core engineering courses offered at six partner schools; 2. to train the partner school faculty to develop and use these PSI materials; 3. to establish PSI (Personalized System of Instruction) methods at the partner schools as optional learning modes available to the students; and 4. to evaluate the costs and effectiveness of courses given in the PSI mode at those schools. The partnership involved Drexel University, which also served as the administrative headquarters for the project, Lehigh University, University of Lowell, Rutgers University, Southeastern Massachusetts University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. By the conclusion of the project sixty faculty had become involved, materials for ten courses had been developed and evaluated, more than 8400 students had taken courses using these materials and 350 student teaching assistants (coaches) had gained valuable experience tutoring and proctoring students in these courses. Evaluation studies have shown these PSI methods to be at least as effective as the traditional methods employed at the partner schools and in many cases the PSI methods produced significantly better student learning (based upon retention studies and common final exam grades) at lower teaching costs (dollars per student credit). The project demonstrated how, with proper planning and organization, effective self-paced course materials can be cooperatively developed and used by a variety of faculty at different schools.