individualized instruction

 

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION

 

Individualized instruction is also known as differentiated instruction.

Individualized instruction strategy refers to those classroom practices of teaching which recognize the uniqueness of each student learner and thus provide for adequate tutorial guidance, and other support services suited to bring about a wholesome development in the person (mind, body, and spirit).

Individualized instruction is about using teaching strategies that connect with individual student’s learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to provide a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success.

Differentiated instruction is an instructional theory that allows teachers to face this challenge by taking diverse student factors into account when planning and delivering instruction. Based on this theory, teachers can structure learning environments that address the variety of learning styles, interests, and abilities found within a classroom.

In this strategy the teacher shouldn’t always stick to the same pattern of teaching rather they should adapt new ways such as teaching through audio, video, field trip, etc. so that students have multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas.

To differentiate or to individualize instruction is to recognize students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively. The intent of individualizing instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process. It provides the opportunity for students to learn at their own pace, in their own way, and be successful.

 

Importance of individualized strategy

•       To enhance and develop listening habit

• Since most of the teaching is done through lecturing, the role of students are to listen and if felt necessary take note of them. The learning of the leaners greatly dependent on their listening habit and sense of hearing, thus helping them in enhancing their listening habit.
•   Enables the teachers to explain a lesson or demonstrate a technique to small groups of students at a time.

• Here the smaller the number of students are the greater is the advantage of the teachers in teaching or explaining a lesson  or to demonstrate a technique to their students. In short smaller the number of students , more efficient the teaching or demonstration  will be.

•       Individualizing instruction allows each student to progress through the curriculum at his or her own pace.

• It aims at how much the learner learn and pace at which they learn. Less important is given to covering the topics in the curriculum. Vital importance is given to the progress the learner are making in the field of learner at his or her own pace (the rate and speed at which they learn).

•       Long term retention as they note down what they usually understand.

• While the teacher is teaching in the class, students are actively engage in taking note of what they really understand instead of what the teacher explain. They usually note down what they understand and are usually listed in their own words. So, this helps them to retain the information for a longer period of time.

•         Importance is given to a child as an individual not as group, class and so on.

• The strategy is more concern about how much a single child is able to learn, retain and his or her progress not as a group, class and team. As the current phase of children education says ‘no child is left behind’.  So, the focus is on a child as an individual.

Principles of Individualized Instruction Strategy.

• Make the students clear about the key points and generalization to make sure that all learners gain a powerful and strong understanding so that they can have a good foundation for their future learning. Teachers are encouraged to identify essential concepts and instructional focuses to ensure all learners understand.

• Use assessment as a teaching tool to extend versus merely measure instruction. Assessment should occur before, during, and following the instructional episode. The assessment carried out before and during can be incorporated into classroom practice; it provides information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. E.g. Observation, questioning strategies, self and peer assessment, student’s record keeping. The assessment carried out before and during instructional episode is called formative assessment. And the assessment evaluated after instruction is called summative assessment. It is carried out every few weeks, months, or chapter tests. E.g. End of unit or chapter tests, end of term or semester exams.

•  Emphasize and stress more on critical and creative thinking while designing a lesson. Whatever task and activities that we provide to the students should be up to the student’s level and understanding, so that they can understand easily and will apply meaning. Instruction may require supports, additional motivation, varied tasks, materials, or equipment for different students in the classroom

•  Engaging all learners is essential. We should engage and make the students participate in class activities. For that teachers should develop their lesson to engage and motivate the students.

•  Provide a balance between teacher-assigned and student-selected tasks. If there is a balance between the task and activities that are assigned by the teachers and the tasks selected by the students, the learning will be most favourable and desirable.

PERSONALISED SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION

The Keller Plan, also called the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), was developed by Fred S. Keller with J. Gilmour Sherman, Carolina Bori, and Rodolpho Azzi in the middle 1960s as an innovative method of instruction for the then-new University of Brasília. PSI was conceived of as an application of Skinner's theories of learning, grounded in operant conditioning strategies of behaviorism.

 

PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION

Programmed learning (or programmed instruction) is a research-based system which helps learners work successfully. The method is guided by research done by a variety of applied psychologists and educators.^[1]

The learning material is in a kind of textbook or teaching machine or computer. The medium presents the material in a logical and tested sequence. The text is in small steps or larger chunks. After each step, learners are given a question to test their comprehension. Then immediately the correct answer is shown. This means the learner at all stages makes responses, and is given immediate knowledge of results.^[2][3]

It is rather interesting that Edward L. Thorndike wrote in 1912: "If, by a miracle of mechanical ingenuity, a book could be so arranged that only to him who had done what was directed on page one would page two become visible, and so on, much that now requires personal instruction could be managed by print".^[4][5]