有一些批评家认为,在过去三十年或四十年内,教学效果实际上下降了。幸好最近对行为的实验研究的进展第一次暗示了,我们能发展一种教育工程学,它将采用机器使学生具有大量的言语的和非语言的行为宝库。帮助学校完成这些任务的机器叫做教学机。有些人认为,机器是对教师的一个威胁,它会使学生变成被动的、无心灵的机器人。这些恐惧是没有根据的。教学机的目的是把现在我们教得慢而又不完全、在浪费师生精力的大部分教材教得又快又彻底。早期教学机的研究者在“教育上的工业革命”和教学的有效程序等问题上并未获得成功。目前,大多数学生感到教学机有补偿的优越性。同传统的方法相比,教学机以较少的时间与精力而学得较多。学生始终知道自己的成绩而毋须等待测验。适当地应用从探作行为的实验分析里所揭露的积极强化,可能普遍地改善强化的条件。分数、成绩单和毕业文凭起了条件强化刺激的作用,使最后的结果同被强化的行为之间的距离缩短。能力上的任何增益强化了人类的有机体。把学习材料分成小步,便能保证经常增益。在教学机器上每天花15分钟就足够学习一门课程。教学机器能教授拼字、算术和阅读。不同的科目要求不同的机器与程序设计。程序设计是艰难的,但有它的补偿价值。机器不会排斥教师或降低他们的地位。机器会使教师节省时间和劳动,同时担负更富有创造性的教室作用。把某些机械化的作用交给机器,教师将以适当的角色出现而成为不可缺少的人。 Some critics think the teaching effectiveness has actually dropped in the past three decades or 40 years. Fortunately, the recent advances in experimental research on behavior imply for the first time that we can develop an educational engineering that will employ machines that give students a tremendous amount of verbal and nonverbal treasures. The machine that helps the school accomplish these tasks is called the teaching machine. Some people think that the machine is a threat to teachers, it will make students into passive, mindless robot. These fears are unfounded. The purpose of the teaching machine is to teach what we now teach slowly and incompletely, and most of the textbooks that waste the energy of teachers and students are taught quickly and thoroughly. Researchers of early teaching machines did not succeed in such issues as the “industrial revolution in education” and the effective procedures for teaching. At present, most students feel that the teaching machine has the advantage of compensation. Compared with the traditional method, teaching machine with less time and energy and learn more. Students always know their own achievements without waiting for the test. Proper application of the positive reinforcement revealed in the experimental analysis of exploratory behavior may generally improve the conditions of reinforcement. Scores, transcripts, and diplomas acted as conditional stimuli to shorten the distance between the final result and the intensified behavior. Any gain in power reinforces the human organism. Dividing learning materials into small steps will ensure constant gain. Spending 15 minutes a day on a teaching machine is enough for a course. Teaching machines can teach spelling, arithmetic and reading. Different subjects require different machines and programming. Programming is tough, but it has its compensation value. The machine does not exclude teachers or reduce their status. The machine will save teachers time and effort while taking on a more creative classroom role. Give some mechanization to the machine, and teachers will become indispensable in the proper role.