The Behavorial Objectives Controversy: A Layman's View.
Abstract
The basic question is whether or not is is desired or appropriate in the American educational process to state learner educational goals or outcomes in terms of behavior change of the individual student. Data were gathered using a literature research and personal interviews with educational psychologists and other educators. The widespread adoption by the American educational community of sophisticated instructional systems, i.e. computer assisted instruction, teaching machines, and programmed texts, dictates the use of precise, specific statements of instructional objectives in behavior terms, since these statements are vital elements of the systems' software. In the age of educational sophistication and competition for resources, the measurement of educational performance in terms of student behavior change is a fact of life. What educators must be cautious of in the years to come is the degree to which behaviorists influence the educational process, lest it becomes totally dehumanized and narrowed to the extent that the only subjects taught are those that can be measured. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 29, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0761038
Entities
People
- Arnold Ray Pollard
Organizations
- United States Army War College