Programmed instruction

Programmed instruction is a field first studied extensively by the behaviorist B.F. Skinner. It consists of teaching through small lessons, where each lesson must be mastered in order to go on to the next. This idea was later adapted by Robert Gagne who invented programmed learning for use in teaching in schools. The difference between programmed instruction (PI) and programmed learning (PL) is that PI is intended to modify behavior whereas PL is used for teaching facts and skills. The Keller Plan was a famous idea for how to incorporate programmed learning into the classroom.