IS MASTERY LEARNING FOR SLOW STUDENTS?

Yes and no. In Papua New Guinea, there are many slow students but that is because of their school and home environment.

There was little encouragement and stimulus at home and at school. Mastery Learning requires english and mathematics skill. Some students may be highly capable but slow in terms of previous schooling.

Mastery Learning may be the catalyst that speeds the slower students up. What is the alternative? If students do not master, what do they do - smoke marijuana and drink home brew?

But we have to be fair. The slower students who take twice as long as the more capable students must not make the faster students sit and do nothing as they wait for the slower students to finish the work.

There can be enrichment exercises for the faster students. There has to be a cut off point. It may be there is an achievement test at the end of every module.

Whatever progress is being made by slower students, they have to complete the test. Perhaps they can finish the mastery exercises later by way of revision.

How do we identify those who are to go on to university? Does Mastery Learning mean that every student goes to university? That is unrealistic and foolish. There has to be a grading in terms of work completed.

The faster student who completes all the work including the enrichment assignment and passes the end-of-module mastery tests and passes well in the external exam may be given a Distinction.

The slower student who completes a set number of mastery exercises, does not complete the enrichment assignment but passes the end of unit tests and does fairly in the external exam may be given a Pass or Credit.

The external exam is still the great decider. This exam should be based on the Mastery Learning syllabus for each subject. Average students have enough questions to allow them to achieve pass or credit.

The more capable students succeed in questions that require application of knowledge to give Distinction grades.

There are people who want to support Outcome Based Education but do not support Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Mastery Learning. They are obviously not teachers.

Frequently Asked ... - The National Teaching & Learning Forum

Given its early associations with behaviorism, programmed instruction, and
mastery learning, skeptics may question the claim that Bloom's taxonomy is a
useful ...www.ntlf.com/html/lib/faq/bl-ntlf.htm - Cached - Similar

Outcome Based Education is the drive engine. Bloom's taxonomy and Mastery Learning are the tools in the tool box. How can we operate an engine without a box of tools? Are there other tools?

Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy

16 Nov 1999 ... He is known mostly for "Bloom's Taxonomy." Bloom is also

known for his studies on mastery learning and his model of talent development. ...www.rblewis.net/technology/PSY306/benbloom.html - Cached - Similar

Bloom, Benjamin

2 Apr 2008 ... Bloom developed a "taxonomy of educational objectives" which classified ...
Bloom also carried out significant research on mastery learning, ...

www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Benjamin_Bloom - Cached - Similar