“Good-Bye, Teacher…” | 1 BCBA CEU

Description

To earn credit, you will be required to read the article and pass a 5-question quiz about it. You can retake the quiz as many times as needed, but you will not receive exactly the same questions each time.

Abstract

In this 1968 article published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Fred S. Keller introduces what would become known as the Keller Plan (or Personalized System of Instruction, PSI): a mastery-based, self-paced approach to university teaching grounded in behavioral reinforcement principles. Drawing on his experiences from WWII military training and a collaborative effort to build a psychology department at the University of Brasilia, Keller describes a course structure built around five key features: self-pacing, unit mastery requirements before advancement, lectures used as motivational rewards rather than primary instruction, emphasis on written communication, and the use of trained undergraduate proctors for immediate feedback and tutoring. Outcome data from Arizona State University and Queens College show strongly right-skewed grade distributions favoring high achievement, comparing favorably to conventionally taught sections. Keller closes with a philosophical argument that the teacher’s role must shift from classroom performer to “educational engineer” and expresses his willingness to bid farewell to the traditional teaching model.

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