PSI and AT Instructional Models in a Contemporary Setting

     Both the PSI (Personalized System of Instruction) and the AT (Audio-Tutorial) models of instruction were developed to address learner needs by adding a component of individualized and self-paced instruction to course work. The premise was that not all students learn well through the traditional lecture/test delivery, but that individualized instruction would help students understand and retain the course material better. As Robert Davis stated, “…students prefer to learn by doing rather than by listening” (Design of an Effective, Web-Based, Global Learning Environment Using the Keller Plan. Davis and Ragsdell, 2000, pg. 6) Both PSI and AT models have clear educational objectives, the course content chunked into smaller modules, extra resources such as study guides or audio tutorials for enriched content, allow for self-pacing and emphasize mastery of specific objectives. Even though they have a number of similarities, there are also some differences between PSI and AT. PSI is designed to be asynchronous while AT has a component that requires a group of learners to meet on a regular basis for peer instruction and feedback.  AT also requires a heavy output in resources to develop large numbers of tutorials that may quickly become outdated. Since PSI and AT were designed for individualized instruction, much of the underlying concepts can be carried over to a contemporary online setting.

     As we take a look at using PSI and AT in a contemporary setting we have to take into account some inherent weaknesses. Since both models are geared toward mastering skills and concepts, they don’t really address the application of higher thinking skills. This could be overcome by adding a final project where learners apply the content material and then share these projects with one another for positive feedback. Another weakness these models have is the fact that learners need to be disciplined and actually complete the tutorials in a timely manner. For example, back when I was an inexperienced college freshman, I had an AT course that I still have nightmares about. It was French 101 where we had to attend a large lecture, use language lab audio tapes and attend small group sessions. The requirement was that I had to spend a certain amount of hours in the language lab and attend a certain number of small group sessions. Well, needless to say, I waited until the last minute to complete my audio tape and small group session requirement and frantically tried to cram it all in the last few days of the semester. To be quite honest, my grade reflected my lack of planning. Fortunately, I learned from the experience and I am here now! This issue could be addressed by setting up a feedback system with an instructor monitoring students’ completion of units to help them stay on track.

     At first glance both PSI and AT seem to be outdated. However, with the development of new Web tools, both models can be modified for contemporary use. There are numerous ways to create online lectures, videos, audio files, instant feedback assignments and interactive training modules that can replace old-fashioned lectures, audio tapes and handouts. Face to face teaching assistants can be replaced with email, chat rooms and discussion boards. PSI is a natural choice for a situation where the instruction takes place totally asynchronously and the learner can go through the modules with regular feedback from automated quizzes. I would also add a component, though, that requires learners to apply the instruction by creating a finished product. For example, I am working on a training module for a product called “mouse mischief”. It is a Microsoft software program that integrates the use of student controlled wireless mice with a teacher’s Power Point presentation. It is very interactive. The training would train teachers on how to install and set up a classroom set of wireless mice, but it would also require the teachers to go a step further and develop a Power Point to be integrated with the mice and to share that Power Point with other teachers to stimulate collaboration, creativity and feedback.

     PSI and AT has a lot of potential for online instruction, especially in situations where the content material is skill- or knowledge based, such as a class on computer basics or how to install and use a printer. These types of courses are well suited for online instruction through the use of videos and presentation software.  Multimedia can make the courses interesting and exciting. For example, videos can be created by using Power Point presentations and software such as Camtasia or Screencast-o-matic. Avatars created through Voki.com can be used to gain the interest of the users and add an audio componant to the instruction. Fotobabble also can add an audio component by giving voice to pictures and graphics. Discussion boards allow for interaction between the students and the instructors. A number of tools, such as Google forms and Quizzlet, can be used to create quizzes for feedback. There are wide host of tools available to make online PSI and AT useful and contemporary.

    

ECI 517

I'm looking forward to starting a new course - ECI 517.  I can already tell that I am going to learn a lot from a great professor, awesome teaching assistant and a fantastic group of fellow classmates.

Evaluating initiatives through Outcomes, Measures and Supports

     Brian Setser recently wrote an intriguing post about the importance of evaluating schools, whether online or face to face, in the context of outcomes, measures and supports. Effective schools demonstrate SMART planning, measurable results and willingness to consult experts for professional support and training in order to accomplish their goals.  In response to that I would like to offer two scenarios that demonstrate a mini version of this train of thought.  I work at a school and several months ago we had an initiative dropped on us that turned out to be a bit of a boondoggle. Over the past couple of years, several faculty members had suggested the school purchase some Smartboards.  Smartboards are very cool, but also very expensive, and require significant training in order to use them to their full potential.  A Smartboard is something that takes some planning. Well, one day we showed up to work to find a Smartboard leaning against a hallway wall. (It was an older donation from a business that was upgrading.)  Once it was discovered by the faculty members that it would require time and training to use it properly no one wanted to have it in their room. It ended up not being used (again, it was also an older model). The Smartbaord initiative did not work because it was not planned, didn’t have the real support of the teacher stakeholders and did not demonstrate any value. Yet, the interesting thing was that even though the Smartboard incident was a failed initiative it did lead to a very positive one.

     The back and forth dialogue about Smartboards led us to the conclusion that something similar should be implemented in the classrooms to improve the quality of instruction through creative student/teacher interaction.  After careful planning, budgeting, discussions with administrators, faculty and other professionals, we decided to set up the classrooms with a document camera and projector combination. This set up works even better (in our opinion) than a Smartboard setup at a fraction of the cost, and with very little teacher training involved. The way we implemented the initiative was by offering the document cameras to a handful of progressive teachers.  These teachers enjoyed using them and told the other teachers how great they were.  The teachers were so excited about them that they set up their own training sessions to teach each other.  They also developed novel ways to use the cameras (did experiments under them, wrote notes and then posted them online for students to review, etc.) Even now they maintain a networked notebook to share their creative ideas with each other. Surveys show that it has been a huge success with faculty and students. This initiative was successful because it was well-planned, involved stakeholders in the decision process, was relatively easy to implement and did not require huge amounts of time and effort on the part of the users to learn how to implement it in the classroom.  Outcomes, measures and supports are necessary to consider when implementing new learning initiatives, even small ones.