Mastery Learning: Its Prospects and Problems.
The article discusses the prospects and problems of mastery learning. Mastery learning is the attainment of adequate performance levels on tests measuring specific learning tasks. It also describes an instructional model whose underlying assumption is that nearly every student can learn everything i...
| Published in: | Education Digest Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 29 - 33 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Prakken Publications
Dec1981
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| Summary: | The article discusses the prospects and problems of mastery learning. Mastery learning is the attainment of adequate performance levels on tests measuring specific learning tasks. It also describes an instructional model whose underlying assumption is that nearly every student can learn everything in the curriculum at a specified level of competence. The mastery model has six basic components. Diagnostic assessment during instruction determines if the learner is progressing as expected; it is used to pace the learner and to adapt instruction as needed. Mastery learning differs from traditional teaching in the level of specificity and precision required in the design of mastery learning programs. Mastery learning can be initiated by starting with one subject at a time and moving to other areas as the teacher and students feel ready. Mastery learning requires specifically stated instructional goals, which most educators find more difficult to agree on than broad educational goals. The proponents of mastery learning interpret equality as meaning that students attain mastery of the same competencies. While mastery learning is not the answer for all it provides provocative assertions all educators might well explore. |
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