An industrywide study of programed instruction

Abstract

In November 1963, this Association completed a study of the effectiveness of a 1625-frame, self-instructional text on life insurance fundamentals, developed in cooperation with the American Institute for Research. The 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design involved: use of a review book, availability of confirmation for each response, and response mode. Over 1500 people in 7 companies in classroom and field settings participated as well as home office employees in an 8th company to study 4- and 16-week retention. The use of a comprehensive review program resulted in slightly and reliably greater achievement on both immediate testing and retention tests 4 and 16 weeks later. Trainees receiving confirmation of the accuracy of their responses were generally, and sometimes significantly, inferior in achievement to trainees not receiving confirmation. Trainees did not differ in achievement or attitude toward the program depending on writing, saying their answers, or choosing either of these response modes; those who said their answers took less time than the others. Pretest individual differences were not reduced by exposure to the programed texts. (28 ref.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)