Self-Paced Instruction in a Cognitively Oriented Skills Course: Supplyman, MOS 76Y10. Technical Report No. 75-20

As part of the Army's adoption of performance-oriented instruction in Army Training centers, a study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using sefl-paced instruction without programed texts in a clerical and computational skills course. Course organization, course management, and effective instructional techniques for self-paced training were the principal areas of study. A seven-week Supplyman course was selected for the experiment. There were 19 performance tests for the course, each constituting a station at which an instructor provided an overview of the material and information on where the required reference documents and practice materials were located. Students were allowed to take each of the 19 Supplyman performance tests whenever they felt qualified to do so. Performance and attitude data were collected on approximately 135 baseline (lock-step) students and 200 self-paced students. Findings indicate the self-pacing is feasible to implement and operate, can be used effectively in cognitive skill training, and is well-received by students and instructors. Appended are two student attitude surveys with responses statistically expressed, one instructor information questionnaire with response scores, and another instructor questionnaire for which responses are not shown. (Author/MS)