Digital learning needs to be placed within a total system of instruction in order for it to have any chance of having a significant positive impact on outcomes. Unfortunately, the situation usually differs: “Here’s some new technology that we bought. You’re welcome. Figure it out.”
Pressey's teaching machines
Sidney Pressey passed on some reflections to B.F. Skinner describing his experiences with teaching machines in the 1930s:
“[I]t was only when our devices became part of a total system of instruction that retention seemed enough to be possibly worthwhile. … I was still surprised at the smallness of the outcomes.” (p. 32)
Total system of instruction
Researchers and practitioners have been working on personalized learning for 90 years. Given that we are so far from agreeing on a solution to this problem, be careful if you are promising to solve or are hearing a promise that purports to solve this problem. I’m not saying that it can’t be done or that steps can’t be made. I’m simply saying that one shouldn’t accept statements with a blind trust.
Pressey refers to a “total system of instruction” as being a prerequisite to seeing the benefits of the teaching machine. Given the extent of his work in this area and his preference to finding such a benefit, this should serve as a warning for anyone who expects to drop some piece of technology into a learning experience (course, seminar, workshop, whatever) and to then see some benefit. Pressey would say that the teacher needs to consider his/her whole approach to teaching and revise it appropriately in order to see that benefit.
"Possibly worthwhile" technology
Notice how carefully Pressey describes his conclusion: “possibly worthwhile.” Wow. Given that he based his whole career on the investigation and promise of teaching machines, this is not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Pressey ran experiments to investigate the effects of his teaching machines. He found that they had a small positive effect on learning and retention. Contrary to what you might think or what he meant to convey, I find this to be extremely exciting! Comparing the outcome from a teaching machine to that from a teacher’s classroom instruction and finding a “small positive effect” is an amazing outcome.
However, given the cost of such machines and the costs of developing an appropriate digital curriculum, an administrator would have to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of committing to such a technology. It might be that being able to allocate the costs in a large scale operation would be the only way for this investment to make sense. In any case, caution is called for.
Conclusion
I remain a big supporter of digital tools for learning; however, I think Pressey’s words should cause all to reflect on the difficulty of seeing the appropriate returns on the investments in these technologies.
