Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study is to determine some of the effects of self-directed learning in elementary science on the growth of fifth grade pupils. It was attempted to measure pupil growth in four areas: A. Fact absorption B. General Science Knowledge C. Liking for science D. Learning to generalize Printed materials instructed pupils in the use of simple apparatus to collect data and solve elementary science problems. The approach was inductive and required making generalizations on observed phenomena. A need exists for facilitating the use of activity science in classes where the teacher is unfamiliar with the content and process of science. Teachers who are unfamiliar with science do not deal adequately with the tactics and strategy of science investigation. Materials directed to the student which lead him through the experience of actual investigation might help to overaome some of the reluctance to engage in science activities evidenced by teachers untrained in science. If it can be shown that students are able to learn as much factual material by self-instruction as through the average textbook oriented study, then schools might be able to carry on a science activity program using the processes of science investigation without extensive teacher retraining programs and without loss of subject matter learning. Four self-directed science studies were tried on 128 students of six classes selected at random from schools of a mixed factory-suburban town. One hundred thirty-two students in seven classes were used as a control group. The study was conducted over a period of six months. Experimental and control groups were equated as to I.Q. ratings and scores on a standardized reading test. Teachers were equated on the basis of a town wide supervisors' survey. It was decided to investigate the comparative performance of the experimental and control groups using four different measuring instruments. 1. Growth in specific subject matter knowledge as measured on a prepared fact test. 2. Growth in general science knowledge as measured on a standardized science test. 3. Changes in possible liking for science as measured on a standardized attitude survey. 4. Growth in ability to generalize as measured on an organizational ability test. The four different tests were administered before and after the study and the change in performance was compared across groups for statistical differences. experimental and control groups were also compared in upper and lower I.Q. halves and by sex. The results of the experiment were as follows: 1. Fact absorption There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in gain of factual knowledge, nor was there difference when groups were compared according to sex and I.Q. 2. General Science Knowledge The upper I.Q. pupils of the control group enlarged their general science knowledge significantly more than did the experimental group. Between the two main groups there was no significant difference in gain of general science knowledge. 3. Liking for Science. After self-study activities the upper I.Q. groups expressed a liking for science significantly greater than the corresponding control group. The girls of the experimental groups gained in choices for science more than did the girls of the control group. There was no significant difference in the scores of the total groups. 4. Learning to Generalize. There were no significant differences in gains in organizational abilities between the experimental and control groups and none between the sex groups and I.Q. groups. SUMMARY: Although the present study showed no advantage for self-study activity science over traditional science studies,there is indication that the students learn the factual content as well when learning by themselves as when taught by a teacher. If longer exposure to science self-study activities is needed to show results in behavior of the students, there is much to gain and little to lose by allowing the student to pursue his science studies on his own. / 2031-01-01

Treatment integrity is an important component of behavioural interventions, however few studies have examined methods to teach supervisors to evaluate the treatment integrity of such interventions applied by front-line staff. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-instructional package to teach individuals to evaluate the treatment integrity of discrete-trials teaching (DTT) sessions using the Discrete-Trials Teaching Evaluation Form (DTTEF). Participants consisted of six staff from the St.Amant Autism Programs. In a modified multiple-baseline design across a pair of participants, and replicated across two more pairs, at Baseline, a participant observed a confederate who role-played an instructor teaching three tasks to a confederate who role-played a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Each participant was required to evaluate sessions taught with (a) low integrity, (b) moderate integrity, or (c) high integrity. During training, participants studied a self-instructional package. At Post-training, participants were assessed on the same tasks as during Baseline. During Generalization, participants were assessed evaluating the treatment integrity of three videos of an Autism Tutor administering DTT to a child with ASD. Finally, during a seven-month Follow-up, four participants were available and were assessed evaluating the treatment integrity of a confederate instructor teach a confederate child with low, moderate, and high integrity. Results demonstrated that after an average of 1 hour and 16 minutes of training, there was an immediate increase in accuracy across all participants. Specifically, mean accuracy increased from 47.6% in Baseline to 84.7% at the Post-training assessment (a 37.1% increase). All participants showed excellent generalization results, and three of the four participants who were available at the Follow-up assessment performed at a high level. These results suggest that the training package has potential to be used as an effective method to train staff who work with children with ASD to evaluate the treatment integrity of DTT sessions. / February 2016

A self-instructiona1 kit identifying seventy-three indoor plants, their cultural requirements, and uses was prepared. The kit consisted of seventy-eight slides of the plant material and a forty-fife minute taped narration. The botanical and common names of each plant along with its moisture, temperature, and light requirements were superimposed on each slide. Each plant's unique characteristics and uses were described by the script of the tape which averaged approximately thirty seconds per plant. / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

The primary purpose of the study was to test a self-instructional approach to teaching a college French diction course to determine if it would equal or surpass in effectiveness a course taught by a traditional approach. The study sought to provide a partial solution to the problems of the increasing student-teacher ration in colleges, and of the individualization of teaching students who have various learning rates and backgrounds.

Research demonstrates that video modeling and visual activity schedules have been effective in teaching students with disabilities a variety of skills. However, the instructional procedures used to teach students to acquire the necessary skills to perform the tasks can take time for the students and the instructors. A behavior skills training package was investigated within a multiple probe design across students to determine if four elementary aged students with intellectual disability, with and without autism spectrum disorder, could acquire self-instructional skills. The dependent variables in the study were the effects of behavior skills training on the acquisition of self-instructional skills and the effects of video activity schedules on the acquisition of novel skills. The independent variable was behavior skills training. Three students were able to acquire the self-instruction skills in an effective and efficient manner using behavior skills training. After learning how to navigate the video activity schedules, three students were able to generalize and maintain the self-instruction skills to learn novel tasks. The results suggest that behavior skills training may be an effective instructional strategy for teaching self-instructional skills to students with intellectual disability.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 66-72).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-72). Also available in print.

This qualitative case study was undertaken in order to explore the experiences of drum set students who apply themselves to James Dreier’s Standard Tune Learning Sequence (STLS) in a self-directed learning environment. These experiences ultimately shed light on how best to implement Differentiated Instruction to the STLS. The study draws on the experience of three adult drum students under the instruction of the author. The students were provided with the STLS and left to proceed with it on their own. They were asked to keep a record of their progress in the form of a learning journal. These learning journals were used, in conjunction with transcribed interviews and learner profiles, as data for this study and as such were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The study recognizes three factors which affect the student’s successful progression through the STLS: readiness, interest and meaning. Each factor is discussed in relation to literature on differentiated Instruction. Recommendations are made regarding the implementation of Differentiated Instruction to the STLS.