ABSTRACT
Teaching ought to be a siluple matter since a good deal is actually known about learning. To be sure, there are many things which are not known about the learning process - its physiology, among other things. But about the basics, quite a bit is known. It is a known fact that students who are confident and well motivated, provided with good basic intelligence and aptitude, and provided with good instruction, can learn a fantastic amount in relatively short periods of time. It is also a known fact that once they learn something well, it tends to be well retained, particularly if it is periodically reviewed and tested. It is also known, however, that pupils vary a great deal in the rate at which they learn - some learn very fast, others much slower, but, despite these differences in rate of learning, nearly all pupils can learn what they are supposed to learn in school, given enough time. The author believes that teaching ought to be a simple matter if it is viewed as a process concerned with the management of learning. He believes that the function of the teacher is to specify what is to be learned, to
* Carroll, John B. "Problems of Measurement Related to the Concept of Learning for MasterY,"Educational Horizons, 48, No.3 (1970), 71-80. Reprinted with the permission of the publisher, Mr. Frederick Tyler, and the author.
