Individualized instruction
Individualized Instruction is a method of instruction in which content, instructional materials, media, and pace are based upon the abilities and interests of each individual learner.
Individualized Instruction is not a one-to-one student/teacher ratio, as many people would assume. It is not even one-to-one tutoring.
At the very least, neither of these is even realistically possible. No school system could afford anything close to a one-to-one student/teacher ratio or private tutoring. Even the most expensive public school system in the United States (Washington, DC, 2003, approximately $11,000 per student per year) would require at least 5 students per teacher to pay teacher salaries, without anything left for buildings or non-teaching staff.
But in a traditional classroom environment lectures consume approximately 80% of an average teacher's in-class time, to say nothing of the time needed to prepare lessons.
Yet lecturing is an inherently inefficient method of conveying information. The average student retains only approximately 10% of what is presented in a lecture, but without substantial reinforcement that figure falls to an abysmal 2%, or less, within 24 hours.
Why waste the time of either teacher or student on a process that is so ineffective?
Instead, Educational Research Associates concluded that placing greater reliance upon well-designed instructional materials – whether audio, video, multimedia CAI, or simply a good textbook – can hardly be less efficient than the lecture method, but yields a huge net benefit by freeing teachers to focus upon the needs and problems of individual students.
In this, Individualized Instruction is like [Direct Instruction], which also places greater reliance upon carefully prepared instructional materials and explicitly sequenced instructional sequences. But where Direct Instruction is very rigidly structured for primary grade children, Individualized Instruction recommended only for students of at least junior high school age, and presumes that they have greater self discipline to be able to study more independently.
The initial content for this article was provided by Educational Research Associates, Portland OR.