Mastery Learning

First Developed: March, 1996

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Basic Principles:

• Ninety percent of students can learn what is normally taught in schools at an A level if they are given enough time and appropriate instruction
• Enough time means:
  • Time required to demonstrate mastery of objectives
• Appropriate instruction means:
  • Break course into units of instruction
  • Identify objectives of units
  • Require students to demonstrate mastery of objectives for unit before moving on to other units
• Grades may be determined by:
  • Actual number of objectives mastered
  • Number of units completed
  • Proficiency level reached on each unit
  • Any combination of above
• Students can work at own pace if course is so structured, but mastery learning can be accomplished with group instruction.

Advantages:

1. Students have prerequisite skills to move to next unit
2. Requires teachers to do task analysis, thereby becoming better prepared to teach the unit
3. Requires teachers to state objectives before designating activities
4. Can break cycle of failure (especially important for minority and disadvantaged students)

Disadvantages:

1. Not all students will progress at same pace; this requires students who have demonstrated mastery to wait for those who have not or to individualize instruction
2. Must have a variety of materials for reteaching:
3. Must have several tests for each unit
4. If only objective tests are used, can lead to memorizing and learning specifics rather than higher levels of learning

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