(CZ) Experimentální analýza procesu programového učení a některých jeho principů
(EN) An Experimental Analysis of the Programmed Learning Process and of Some of its Principles

The aim of the research was to verify some principles of the theory of programmed learning. The experimental text was a part of Skinner’s linear programme (a course in psychology). The main stages of the research: a) logico-psychological and pedagogical analysis of the programme; b) analysis of the concrete learning process from the programme based on an analysis of recorded answers given by persons taking part in the experiment in individual steps of the programme and other measurable data (length of time necessary for learning etc.); c) checking the effect of learning by an examination immediately after learning and by a retention test; d) supplementing these findings by comparing them with analogical parameters of learning the same subject-matter by the two traditional methods (individual learning from a current text and instruction given by the teacher). Results: Individual learning from the given programme proceeded without difficulties and the effect of learning reached a level corresponding fully to the main requirement as to the knowledge acquired. The question correctly put is not whether to programme at all, but what to programme, when and for whom, in other words to find the correct place of programmed learning in the teaching process. The results confirm the conclusion that programmed learning is especially suitable for correspondence courses. A great asset of programmed learning is the fact that while the pupils are working with the programme there is a constant, very high activity of individual work, and the possibility of adjusting the tempo of learning individually can be made full use of. By keeping a record of answers in individual steps it was possible to make a deep analysis of the actual process of learning, which made us see many questions in a new light (the part played by error in the learning process, mechanisms of correcting mistakes, the significance of ‘controlling information about partial results of learning, etc.) and enabled us to determine correlations of numerous characteristic aspects of learning with greater accuracy. The analysis has shown that Skinner’s conception does not give the best solution of some questions of programming (the size and sequence of steps, the form of controlling information etc.). It will be therefore necessary to enlarge the conception of programmed teaching by applying the positive achievements of our and Soviet psychology, pedagogy and other special sciences. An important result of the research is the discovery that programmed learning can be a new method of tackling some important questions of pedagogical psychology, combining many advantages of laboratory and natural teaching experiments.