Los Angeles Valley College - Crown Yearbook (Valley Glen, CA)

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L E Student success secret: learning machines

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ri Volleying theory back and forth in the math seminar 'game' are Tex Davidson and Paul Johnson. Some of the topics covered in past series are the theory of sets, advanced analysis, the theory of numbers and geometrics and other topics Euclyd never thought of. One example of a superior student in action is Robert von Tiehl, fourth semester student. He hopes to be a teacher on the university level in either mathematics or physics and plans to transfer to UCLA after Valley., A member of the Dean's List with a 3.2 average, von Tiehl is an active member of Les Savants and has served as president of the Computing Club. Von Tiehl is taking the seminar because he Hlikes math and something new is available in the seminarf' He doesn't like the idea of only a few courses being available to him. 'Through the seminar, I can enter a new area of mathe- matics without first getting a more intensive background in math, said von Tiehl. Students are recommended for the study group by their instructors. After a careful check of school records, qualified students are then invited to attend the group. Qualification includes at least a LB' average in all college work and an interest in mathe- matics. Occasionally a high school student of exceptional ability may join the seminar if he has a B-plus average in all high school work. The type of program provided by the sem- inar is in practice in very few of the junior colleges. Valley's program enables Valleyites to grow in respect to mathematics, it provides the students with a background and knowledge otherwise unobtainable on the two-year level, and it is even superior to many a four-year university program. fr Charles B. Kinzek, seminar instructor, ponders a problem posed by superior students in VaIley's math seminar. . . ..,, , ,.,. .4-ju., ..,. . 'hum lr:::-- -711- -.. :.'E.-'- '---,.... L,- v .. W. is ,, at 43,2 .4 s r .I v AN ' . ui. . xi, . . .4 A .

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Students who might fall behind in classes because they need supplemen- tary drill have found they can easily keep up with their classmates. How? With a learning machine. Firmly established at Valley is an altogether new concept in education- the Study Skills Center featuring a scientifically structured lesson given by machines. Anyone walking past Bungalow 36 wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. There are no gigantic in- struments, lights blinking, keys tabula- ting, or wires coming out of the heads of students working with the machines. A learning machine is about the size of a notebook but contains much more. And although inexpensive to pur- chase, the machines are priceless con- sidering the knowledge that can be obtained from them. Valley has six such machines. They are manually powered and are avail- able to all students interested in learning. No grades, no cost, all that is in- volved is time and effort. Students work and learn at their own speed and with the help of the blue machine they tutor themselves. Simple instructions from Allan Keller starts a student out right in a session withthe learning machines. 0' ,if , Algebra, arithmetic, electricity, gram- mar, punctuation, spelling, elementary physiology and statistics are subjects offered at the Study Skills Center. It was Dr. B. F. Skinner, psycholo- gist at Harvard, who perfected the idea of the study machine. He, along with others, realized how effectively subject drill by machine conditions the student. For example, spelling courses start where the student needs help. It may be at the middle of the course or at the beginning. The alphabet, its divisions, consonants and vowels, long and short vowel sounds and association of spelling with sound are basic ideas presented by the machine. w Mr. Allan Keller, counselor and head ofthe Study Skills Center, helps a student choose the portion of a course most suitable to her needs. When a-student needs help in course fundamentals, the machine starts at the beginning, going over and over the material until the student has a firm foundation. At the end of each study unit, the machine offers a test. If the student feels he has passed-that he knows the subject-he goes on to the next assign- ment. If necessary, the machine starts over again. Other forms of this concept in learn- ing have been successful at other schools. At Valley, as at other colleges, sessions with a study machine may be the secret of success for many students. 23 l v LA