Programmed Instruction the Engineering of Education

Programmed instruction provides a unique opportunity to "engineer" engineering education. The preparation of programs involves the normal engineering processes of specification of end product, specification of materials used (student preparation), and experimental iteration of designs until a reasonable approximation to the optimum is achieved. Programmed instruction is based on theories of learning developed by behavioral psychologists working with animals. It depends upon subdivision into the smallest possible units of the material to be taught, stimulation of the learner to do something immediately with the material presented, and immediate confirmation of correct responses. The many experiments now being conducted in the use of programmed instruction in engineering education all attempt to take advantage of the ability of properly programmed materials to permit students to learn better than other methods, while keeping the rate of learning variable in accordance with individual needs. In the future programs will be used widely to teach fundamental principles, to assure uniformity of class background, and as review material both for university and industrial applications.