The A-T Approach

Originally created in the 1960s, the Audio-Tutorial (A-T) Approach to individualized education, was seen as being light years ahead of its time concerning new approaches to education. This method was created by Samuel Postlethwait, a biology professor at Purdue University, because he needed a method to take his expertise in the biology field and make it applicable and attainable to remedial learners. This method needed to be truly multi-sensory, i.e. hearing, seeing, feeling type instruction. Because he was diligent in creating this environment for his students and was worried about assessment, he also established three types of sessions where his students would "meet" and "learn" the material:

• General Assembly Session (GAS) - large gathering where the students are introduced to the objectives at hand
• Independent Study Session (ISS) - independent study with listening to audio tapes, video demonstrations, etc.
• Small Assembly Session (SAS) - the answer to the assessment questions where a group of students and the teacher (or TA) meet and demonstrate the newly developed skills

After reading about this theory I began to think about how I could use this method. I understand how this method lost its luster but it could very well make a huge comeback as Dr. Oliver stated in  his Camtasia presentation because of the internet and its millions of uses there. Even after reading the extensive (and sometimes confusing data) findings of Kulik, Kulik, & Cohen (1979) I see that this approach has the ability to achieve some real results. Yet there are some real barriers to this method. Just as in the PSI model, this method relies solely on the motivation of the student. However, there is more accountability with the SAS to keep the students focused and working. If the students can keep themselves accountable for that short period, I strongly believe they can achieve that high level that has evaded them for so long.

In a high school setting, and especially in Wake County and the state of North Carolina, I do not believe that I would use this method for the students I am currently working with. Again, as Dr. Oliver stated, this method is not great with material that changes often because there is a large chunk of time that goes into developing the material for audio-tutorial, and my content/pace of my material changes almost yearly it seems. So this method would not be conducive at all to my work environment. I have seen Wake County use what is called the Success Series, which is a series of podcasts/videos of teachers reviewing material. I have recommended students that are in need of remedial help to watch and use this series as a way to study for the EOC in Civics and Economics, along with it being a possible extra credit/replacement grade assignment, and have seen great results come from its use.

I feel that this theory is absolutely made for the internet, despite it being created 35 years prior to the internet boom. The use of Podcasts, vlogs, audio files, and other software that I am sure I am missing could easily be utilized to apply this method to be put into use on the Web.

References

Kulik, J. A., Kulik, C. C., & Cohen, P.A. (1979). Research on audio-tutorial instruction: A meta-analysis of comparative studies. Research in Higher Education, 11(4), 321-341.

Davis, Keller, and PSI models

Davis gives a great thesis of what he believes to be the problem of education, outlines where we need to challenge students, gives his solution (in this case being the Keller Plan of the PSI model), and then finally gives an example of the proposed solution in action to strengthen his overall thesis. I agree with most of Davis' argument, but I do not agree specifically with his idea on trying to achieve a truly asynchronus learning environment is (1) too far-fetched and impossible but also (2) a turn in the wrong direction of where we, as educators, are trying to take education. To keep me from getting too philosophical, I just want to state that education is more than the content that we teach. We are to teach our students about other real-world applications, such as deadlines, working under stress, understand that we cannot control everything. Now I do not think Davis is stating all or any of this, but that is what I interpret when I hear asynchronus learning and its objectives; its all a little too Montessori for me. Davis also does a good job mentioning the barriers to this model's use but I do not see them as barriers but more as necessities to education, as I stated earlier.

At the high school level, I am not sold so far on using this method to the students that I teach right now, but I can see its utility in some aspects. If there is a course that is primarily built on or around concepts. This could allow students to really achieve that mastery level Davis was discussing. Students could then easily move from concept to concept, achieving the level on their own time, and if they are stuck on one concept they can move onto the other and come back. Using the high school course of Civics and Economics as an example, we have units that are concepts that are loosely related to one other, meaning they are not linear and it is not necessary to master one unit to move to the other. For example, it is not necessary to master the Executive Branch unit to understand the Legislative Branch unit, but a small understanding of one will help the other. You could easily move from these two distinct concepts on the PSI model, therefore achieving that asynchronus learning environment that Davis is discussing.

Although this model was created in the 1960's by Keller, I believe that the tools that Davis mentioned in his article are a great jumping point to start discussing Web-based tools that will increase the effectiveness of this model when utilized for the Internet. Using various blogs, vlogs will be essential to creating an effective course online in the PSI eye. Again, I am just thinking from my Social Studies perspective/bias, having various interatctive tools is necessary so the students can have instant feedback on their efforts. SAS, a renowned company based here in Cary, NC, created an entire database full of interactive online tools for various subjects, e.g. World History, U.S History, and Civics & Economics. These activities can easily be completed by the student anywhere and e-mailed to the teacher for keeping and instant feedback to the student.

References

Davis, R. L. & Ragsdell, K. M. (2000). Design of an effective, web-based, global learning environment using the Keller Plan.