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Edward Thorndike's Prophecies: Why He Think Books Can Replace Teachers?
In the long history of education, research on learning methods has continued to innovate. Among them, "programmed learning" as an emerging educational method has received widespread attention. This approach is based on research in applied psychology and education and promotes learner success. Imagine if learners could rely on books instead of teachers to gain knowledge, how would this change our education system?
Edward Thorndike once said that if a book could automatically display content according to the learner's progress, then much of the learning that now requires personal guidance could be solved through printed matter.
Programmed learning can be defined as a system designed to facilitate learning, usually utilizing textbooks, teaching machines, or computers as media. This medium presents learning material in a logical and proven sequence and divides it into small steps or larger chunks so that learners can test their understanding after each step. The learner is then provided with the correct answer immediately, meaning that at all stages the learner is required to react and gain immediate knowledge of the result.
The early development of programmed learning
The concept of programmed learning was proposed by Thorndike as early as 1912, but it was not until 1926 that Sidney L. Pusey actually developed the first teaching machine, a self-grading machine. , and successfully demonstrated its teaching capabilities. With the advent of World War II, the emphasis on training further spurred the development of programmed learning. Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the effectiveness of training videos in the training of soldiers. Through these studies, scholars have found that videos are better at providing an overview than delivering details, but more importantly, experiments placing questions between video clips have shown that providing immediate feedback can significantly improve learning outcomes.
An experiment at Yale University in 1946 showed that inserting questions into the video and giving correct answers after students responded significantly improved learning effects. This result was similar to having students watch the video repeatedly.
The essence of programmed learning and its two main systems
Further developments in programmed learning introduced the concept of "stimulus control". In this model, the learning material itself will determine the learning process. It consists of several main steps: clear learning objectives, pretest, posttest, and revision of materials based on the results. This approach emphasizes active learner participation, timely feedback, and instructional media that adjust to student progress.
Among the two most famous programmed learning systems, psychologist Norman Cloud's system introduced multiple-choice questions and instant feedback, while the "linear programming" model proposed by behaviorist B.F. Skinner Presented in coherent text and reinforced with rewards. Both approaches emphasize student-centered learning, allowing learners to learn at their own pace.
The subsequent impact of programmed learning
The idea of programmed learning has influenced many other areas of education, such as open learning and computer-assisted learning. The famous educational TV programs such as "Sesame Street" and "Blue's Clues" are also inspired by the idea of programmed learning. They have segmented the content and developed and tested it, thereby improving the learning effect.
Conclusion
Whether it is used in school education or vocational training, programmed learning shows that active participation of learners and immediate feedback are crucial. In the face of future educational development, can books really completely replace teachers?
