A survey of college students' exposure to and preference for eight instructional options

Abstract

This study investigated student exposure to and preference for eight instruction procedures used to teach college courses. The options were programmed instruction, computer-assisted instruction, modular instruction, contingency management and contingency contracting, personalized system of instruction or Keller Plan, individually prescribed instruction, large lecture and lecture-discussion. Six hundred students from six different colleges and universities were surveyed on a number of items related to their exposure and preferences of the eight instructional options. Results of the study indicated exposure to various options were significantly different among schools. There were also large differences among the various major areas of concentration. Student preferences were found to be influenced by such factors as area of concentration, grade point average, strength of learning modalities, class standing, and course content. The data also indicated that perhaps student “choice” of instructional method may be as effective as a method of individualizing instruction as trying to develop one all inclusive strategy.