ATTENDANCE AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SEMINAR ON 'MANAGING THE PROGRAMMED LEARNING EFFORT,' 28 - 30 AUGUST 1967

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-06204A000100010019-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: September 11, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

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11 September 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Training
SUBJECT : Attendance at University of Michigan Seminar on
"Managing the Programmed Learning Effort, "
28 - 30; August , 1967
1. The Seminar in "Managing the Programmed Learning Effort"
at the University of Michigan was most worthwhile. Twenty-three
persons were enrolled, four from Canada. The remainder represented
business and industrial firms except for myself and two military officers,
Marine and Army. Emphasis in the course was on:
a. Where to use PI? - PI is not considered as a panacea for
all training problgns - it should. be used as another training tool on a
highly selective basis - criteria to be used in making this determination
were discussed.
b. Should. PI be off-the-shelf, developed in -house or developed
under contract? There are pros and cons for each - again criteria were
examined to assist the manager in deciding which avenue to follow.
2. Representatives of three user firms explained in detail how they
use PI in their training programs. The firms were General Motors Insti-
tute, Ford and Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. In each case these firms use PI
for special training problems rather than as a substitute for their con-
ventional formal training programs. They find PI especially good as a
training device when their target population is broadly dispersed or so
large as to make classroom training impossible. Each has used a com-
bination of off-the-shelf items, in-house development and contractual
arrangements. Each has full-time "professional" programmers to do
the work.
3. Like most training of this kind, the greatest good comes from
the exchange of ideas with other participants. Representing as disparate
a cross section of business and. industry as they did made for a fine ex-
change of thoughts and practices. In addition, the course moderator
Paul Herrick and Geary Rummler, both of the University's Bureau of
Industrial Relations Staff, kept the sessions on track and provided sub-
stance and fine leadership for discussion. Rummler, of course, is one
of the leaders and authorities on Programmed Learning.
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4. Several things came out loud and clear during the two and a
half-day program:
a. The sense of urgency to employ PI is leveling off as
mature understanding is achieved of what PI is and can do.
b. All participants, like myself, were present looking for
answers (most of which we got).
c. Small PI projects are more effective than large projects,
complete courses.
d. Our approach in training instructors to do their own pro-
gram writing is unique but none-the less appropriate if such trained
instructors are provided an opportunity to put their education into
practice.
5. My one-day visit to the Railroad. Retirement System in
Chicago netted very little except to note the way in which one programmed
instruction effort is administered. Students are oriented, to the use of
their programs in a group and thereafter set their own pace with require-
ments for pretesting and posttesting for each unit of instruction. The
education officer feels that their use of PI has been effective in saving
student and instructor time while improving the quality of learning and
performance.
2 i4
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