The Problems of Using Systems Approach in General Education

The first step in establishing an educational system is to assess the desired outcomes of the task and to state them as observable behaviors. The second step is to determine the optimal learning environment for the achievement of those goals. The final step is to set up a system of evaluating the quality of the instruction and the performance of the student so that the training can be corrected if it is in any way deficient. If the systems approach is to be successfully used, three preconditions must be satisfied: first, the goals of instruction must be identifiable; second, the process of instruction must be open to fundamental reorganization; and third, the goal must be achievable in a reasonably short amount of time. Difficulties are often encountered when a curriculum designer identifies only one course of action to achieve a goal, when in actuality there are many. The traditional teacher-centered model of instruction is also a frequent barrier to rearranging the educational environment. (EMH)