<a href="../98/02/obehist.txt">OBE History / Competence / Mastery / Skinner</a>

Date sent:        Thu, 22 Jan 1998 17:50:03 -0500
From:             "Melanie Fields P.M., LLSDL" <mkfields@rma.edu>
Organization:     Professional Mother, Life-long, Self-directed learner
To:               "Grimm, Karen NE" <tkgrm@juno.com>
Subject:          Re: reply to Arthur

Arthur Hu wrote:

> OBE is generally whole language with very little scripting
> or drill,
> and constructivist, vs. being spoon fed facts.

Melanie quotes: (typos mine)

"The concept of Outcome-Based Education emerged out of the
synthesis of two broad areas of instructional design and
improvement. One is known widely as Mastery Learning and is
identified with the pioneering work of Benjamin Bloom (1968,
1976), and Block and Robert Burns 1(1977). The other is
known as Competency-Based Education....The term
Outcome-Based Education represents a synthesis of these two
approaches...."  (Grant Application, Excellence in
Instructional Delivery Systems: Research and Dissemination
of Exemplary Outcome-Based Programs, Grant # 94-1625540,
Secreary's Discretional Fund, 1984, "Estimated numer of
persons benefiting, K-12, all schools)  (This grant is
commonly known as The Spady Grant--father of Outcome Based
Education)

++++++++++

"Washington school officials this fall will begin testing in
26 schools a comprehensive new curriculum that spell out in
ususual **step-by-step detail**  how major subjects will be
taught...the new program [is] a COMPETENCY-BASED
CURRICULUM.  We're putting in a precise predicted treatment
that leads to a predicted response....the new curriculum is
BASED ON THE WORK IN BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY OF HARVARD
UNIVERSITY'S B. F. SKINNER,  who developed teaching machines
and even trained pigeons during WWII to pilot and detonate
bombs and torperdoes."

"According to  Thomas B. Sticht, associate director for
basic skills of the National Institute of Education, similar
techniques, called competency instruction, or mastery
teaching, are now being used in many parts of the country.
Since 1978, Sticht said, they have been adopted by the Army
and Navy for basic training and to teach entry-level job
skills....and also to teach mentally retarded children who
previously had been classified as 'uneducable.' "  (The
Washington Post, August 1, 1977)

+++++++

Heading "The Origins of OBE", subheading "Mastery Learning":

"Bloom based his Learning for Mastery model on Carroll's
model of school
learning (1963). Bloom's model, using group instructional
techniques,
varies both instruction and time to meet individual needs.
An integral part
of OBE, mastery learning was the vehicle for the development
of the Network
for Outcome-Based Schools following a meeting in the early
1980's, when a
group of practitioners met to discuss the implementation
problems of
mastery learning and competency-based education (Block et
al. 1989)."

Source: "Can We Achieve Outcome-Based Education?", Jean King
and Karen
Evans, Educational Leadership, October 1991, p. 73.

+++++++

"...in the past decade, several states and districts have
fostered major
improvements in student learning through OBE in schools and
subject areas
of all kinds. Whether operating under the label of Mastery
Learning,
Outcome-Based Instruction, Outcomes-Driven Developmental
Model, OBE, or
something else, these efforts have attracted many educators
and have
validated all three philosophical premises."

Source: "Beyond Traditional Outcome-Based Education",
William G. Spady and
Kit Marshall, Educational Leadership, October 1991, p. 67.

+++++++

"... mastery learning... was what OBE was called at the time
(1980)."
William Spady, in an interview describing the origin of OBE
and the
Network for  Outcome-Based Schools, published in Educational
Leadership (1993).

++++++

Arthur Hu wrote:

> OBE is generally whole language with very little scripting
> or drill,
> and constructivist, vs. being spoon fed facts.
>
> > Date:          Thu, 22 Jan 1998 02:03:07 -0500
> > From:          "Melanie Fields P.M., LLSDL"
> <mkfields@rma.edu>
> > Organization:  Professional Mother, Life-long,
> Self-directed learner
> > To:            "Grimm, Karen NE" <tkgrm@juno.com>
> > Subject:       Re: Direct Instruction Works-reply
>
> > Loopies, What I have to say is controversial and since
> there
> > isn't a diplomatic way to say it, I'll just say it and
> hope
> > it doesn't come out nasty cause it isn't meant that way.
>
> >
> > I downloaded the Policy Review article mentioned below
> and
> > read it. I have no doubt Direct Instruction works. That
> has
> > never been the issue. But suggesting  that something
> should
> > be used because it works is the wrong standard by which
> to
> > measure a thing. Just because something "works"  doesn't
>
> > make it right!
> >
> > Direct Instruction is based on the same thing as
> > OBE/Mastery Learning, B.F. Skinner. Direct Instruction
> is
> > content based Skinner. It's not DI's content in
> question, it
> > is the scripted, S-R/S-R-S method in question. I have
> not
> > heard the Skinnerian method defended and proven right
> based
> > on Biblical grounds. But I have heard it suggested (on
> this
> > loop) that God must have read Skinner. I don't know if
> God
> > knows He studied Skinner.
> >
> > DI is being supported essentially without question. We
> are a
> > group that questions everything, that's why we're here.
> As
> > with anything right and good, if it is right and good,
> DI
> > will withstand  close scrutiny. I'm not understanding
> why DI
> > and Project Follow Through have been exempted from
> careful
> > scrutiny.
> >
> > I was truly mystified by the article. Johnson's Great
> > Society is  anathema to conservative thought, but this
> > article  used a Great Society  program--Project Follow
> > Through--as proof that DI is a good thing?!? Is it me or
>
> > does this seem like a contradiction? The Great Society
> > stunk, all except for this??
> >
> > There is plenty of documented evidence available for
> those
> > who wish to examine Direct Instruction/Distar/Project
> Follow
> > Through a little further. If you still conclude the
> > Skinnerian method is acceptable, at least you will have
> > thoroughly examined the issue.
> >
> > Melanie
> >
> >
> > Mike McKeown (by way of James Kilpatrick) wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Subject:                              Time:  8:36 AM
> > >   OFFICE MEMO         Direct Instruction
> > > Works              Date:  1/21/98
> > >
> > > The following address takes you to an article on a
> real
> > > educational success
> > > story in Houston, Wesley Elementary.  In short, the
> key is
> > > introduction of
> > > well planned direct instruction programs coupled to
> high
> > > expectations for
> > > students and teachers.  This plan is not unique.  It
> was
> > > shown to be quite
> > > effective in the Project Follow Through studies and
> has
> > > been show to succeed
> > > in California schools with demographics similar to
> those
> > > at Wesley: Kelso and
> > > Bennett-Kew elementary schools in Inglewood.
> > >
> > > In addition to describing what this high achieving
> school
> > > does, there is a
> > > thoughtful discussion of the reason many educators use
> to
> > > dismiss successful
> > > programs rather than emulating them, and a discussion
> of
> > > the way schools
> > > sometimes manipulate their testing programs to hide
> the
> > > existence of their
> > > low-performing students.
> > >
> > > To read the article (which is too large for this
> message)
> > > go to
> > >
> > > http:
> > >
> /www.heritage.org/heritage/p_review/jan98/noexcuses.html
> > >
> > > email me if you need more information on Project
> Follow
> > > Through
> > >
> > > Mike  McKeown
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> +- Views do not reflect any other organization or
> group--------------+
> Arthur Hu              Check out collecting toys page Hot
> Wheels, JL
> arthurhu@halcyon.com   Matchbox McD BK toys Thomas Tank
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