THE RETURN OF THE TEACHING MACHINE?

THOUGHTS ON A TESTING MACHINE

A testing machine is a device to receive answers from a student and mark them.

The first such device was made here in the USA.

It was mechanical and needed to be precise.

Its inventor was a perfectionist and suffered.

A run of about one hundred were made.

Because of the Depression, they were slow to sell and failed - I wish I had one now!

Programmed learning was introduced.

Animals could be taught with a schedule of rewards for proper responses.

Courses were designed for people.

I got involved with this.

A teaching machine by Grolier was offered to me to help my bad spelling - still in evidence today,
when I was twelve year old, during its brief popularity (Five million were sold!)

Why did it fail and almost disappear, after such high hopes and hype??

HOW I USED TEACHING MACHINES:

I myself made a teaching machine with a computer, when I was a Speech teacher wiTH small groups.

At the time, made short answers were used as a teaching method.

My program accepts answers from several students at the same time.

It is on TES.

It worked well and I continued to develop it while using it.

I used two choice questions (Alternate Choice), adequate to quickly determine if you know your stuff.

For example:

Several of these questions brings the certainty to near complete, if you know the story:

Snow White or The Three Little Pigs.

Were pigs or dwarves in the story?

Was a wolf or an evil queen the villain?

Were any of the houses in the story made of bricks?

If you answer randomly, you will be wrong and you don’t know the story.

Alternate Choice is a recognized accepted method.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW:

I was pleasantly astounded to find the Grolier Teaching Machine and Its Spelling course
on Ebay from 1962!

A computer teaching course with alternate choice and the program steps of a teaching program
is thoroughly possible.

WHY A TEACHING PROGRAM:

We are on the cusp of a new age. Great amounts of education are needed; probably more than
was needed in WW2. (the military then turned to teaching machines to fill their need for training.)

Programmed learning has fallen out of favor.

Greed; exorbitant fees for programs and a disinterest in learning are involved??

I will look into this and see what I can do.

Another perfectionist is needed.

Paul Skittone 2024