Effects of computer-aided personalized system of instruction in developing knowledge and critical thinking in blended learning courses

Two experiments were conducted to assess an online version of Keller's personalized system of instruction, called computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI), as part of a blended learning design with regard to course knowledge and critical thinking development. In Experiment 1, two lecture sections of an Introduction to University course received a CAPSI assignment while two received an extra paper assignment. In Experiment 2, one lecture section of an Introduction to University course received a CAPSI assignment while another lecture section was assigned a research paper. In the two experiments the CAPSI sections consistently outperformed the sections with which they were compared, indicating that CAPSI is a viable option in higher education.Keywordspersonalized system of instruction (PSI); computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI); blended learning; online learning; critical thinking; higher-order thinking; Bloom's taxonomy