TEACHING MACHINES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 10

TEACHING MACHINES

“No Wide Use In NX Yet”

(NJS. Press AMOCiatton) . WELLINGTON. Nov. 14. It was not likely that New Zealand could make much use of teaching machines in school for a considerable time —except tor experimental purposes, raijl the director of the Council for Educational Research (Mr G. W. ParKyn) today. Mr Parkyn said a teaching machine was a device that presented instructional material to the individual learner. "Machines vary in complexity from very simple device® to eleGtronic ontes. explained. The important part of the teaching machine was not the machine, but the "programme,” ar the sequence of instructional material was called.

He said the learning sequences must result from very thorough research into learning and into the required curriculum of a given country before they could be effective. The machines could be imported or made in New Zealand with relative ease, Mr Parkyn said, although the better ones.would be costly. Programmes, however, could not so easily be developed and it was not likely that those imported would suit New- Zealand’s needs in general, except, perhaps in certain technological fields. Important research was being carried out overseas into the "programming” of instruction. and this research was certain to increase New Zealand's knowledge of the learning process, improve teaching methods and radically change the nature of text books, Mr Parkyn said.