PAUL GOODMAN ON WAR'S EFFECTS See Editorial Page Y A6F A6F tr tgan IIA3 COLDER High-40 Low--3O Showers ending in morning; colder in afternoon. Seventy-Five Years of Editorial Freedom VOL. LXXVI, No.74 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1965 SEVEN CENTS EIGHT PAGES ' Experts View Exciting' Programmed Learning By RICHARD CHARIN Predictions of computers teach- ing courses, large-audience lec- tures via closed-circuit television, and teaching methods based on psychological observations in ani- mal learning laboratories have led some students and educators to worry that American education is quickly turning into a huge ma- chine producing robots instead of educated human beings. But University experts in the field of psychological applications to learning think that such new methods of education could make learning easier - and even more exciting. Specialists affirm that applica- tions of modern psychology and other advances in science and technology are rapidly and in- creasingly influencing American education. Theseinfluences have become particularly noticeable only in the past few years, and it is still far too early to be able to predict what their ultimate effect will be. The recent impact of psychology, on education has come primarily! from the use of programmed text- books, and University experts haveI been prominent in this field. So far, such textbooks have had the biggest effect on business and of programmed textbooks on a student .who is responsible for school such as the University is learning, and that the teacher has minimal, although they are al- only to 'cover' his subject, and ready being used to a limited ex- 'expose' his students to a certain tent in the School of Social Work, collection of facts and ideas." the School of Nursing, and the r s i i industry. But they are also play- literary college, as well as in se- If a student fails to learn, it is ing an ncrasiglimortntiar ing an increasingly important part eral of the graduate divisions, because "he wasn't motivated to in both elementary and higher ed- i pay attention to the lecture, or ucation. These programmed textbooks read the text." Worse still, the George L. Geis, research asso- can be used to teach anything student is never sure whether or ciate at the Center for Research from freshman composition to the not be understands what he is be- on Learning and Teaching, is a most advanced concepts in grad- ing taught. "When does he learn specialist in programmed instruc- uate work. that he doesn't know the subject? tion. Geis commented on the fallacy When he fails the exam!" Through the Center, Geis con- of the belief that programmed Geis said that the present sys- ducts workshops twice a year to teaching methods would replace a tem necessarily involves a gradual familiarize University f a c u 1 t y "warm, human educational sys- "weeding out" of certain students, members with the techniques of tem"- with one that is rigid and but that most educators are quick writing and using programmed inflexible. to claim that those who are elimi- textbooks. In the past years, from He stressed the fact that one of nated from continuing their edu- 10 to 20 members of the faculty the more important effects of the cation are the less intelligent, the have taken advantage of this op- concept of programmed learning less motivated, or the less capable portunity at each workshop. could be .that it would draw the students. The Center for Research on entire theory of education into a Education with the aid of pro- Learning and Teaching was es- careful examination and possible' gramnmed textbooks, Gels said, tablished in September of 1962 as renovation - which could make brings about a whole new concept the result of a faculty committee learning both more interesting and of education. The writers of these recommendation that the Regents exciting, books are specially trained in the establish a consulting body on Education as it is usually con- application of psychological prin-. learning and teaching. ducted at present, said Geis, is ciples as well as in the subject' At the present time, the effect based upon the idea that "it is the matter of the text. It is there- . c >i l ;I1 t ,1 3 G ] t [t sponsibility of these writers to pro- could the student monitor his rate duce a change in the behavior of of learning, but also that it is the user of the text. just as important that the author According to Geis, "It is not of the text be able to follow the what the book 'covers' that is im- progress of students through his portant, but what the student can book. do after he has gone through the Geis referred to this as "an ap- text that he couldn't do before. plication of scientific methodology "With this concept of educa- to education." The programmer of tion," he added, "there would be a text is constantly getting feed- no weeding out of students. Every- back from the users of his pro- one who started to learn would gram. learn. If anyone didn't finish the Both the programmer and the course, then something would be student are dynamically involved wrong with the program, not with in a system of instruction which the student." exposes imperfections and suggests A Drogrammedi l~nmn i n 1 improvements. ! g timpovgetsaeu earning text in- in contrast to this, the conven- volves a series of steps, every one tional system, which involves of which involves the active par-"peonal"syswihunts ans Iticipation of the student. Further- personal talks with students and more, every action involves a con- examinations, offers the teacher sequence that regulates the pace no objective way of discovering of the student through the text. what affect he is having on his Because of this, the student sUntil programmed learning text- knows just where he stands all the books earn acceptance in the pub- way through the learning process. lie and private schools and uni- His mistakes show up immediately, versities, their greatest uses will and he can correct any errors in continue to be in fields where con- his thinking before he goes on to ventional methods of teaching more advanced steps. have proven to be either too ex- Geis emphasized that not only See PROGRAMMED, Page 8 -Daily-Thomas R. Copi GEORGE L. GEIS, research associate at the Center for Research on Learning and Teachinv. commenting upon the use of pro- grammed learning techniques. I i -,---------..-.- 'Implemient New Course Regulations Continuing Students May Follow Revised Distribution Standards By SHIRLEY OdSICK Associate Dean James Robertson of the literary college announced yesterday that "all continuing students will have the option to move toward the new distribution requirements, approved last Fri- day by the Regents, when register- ing for classes for the fall term of 1966." Robertson said the decision was made on the basis of what has been done in the past when new regulations were adopted to open the liberalized program as soon as possible to all continuing students -sophomores, juniors and seniors. Since the new distribution re- quirements go into effect at the end of the present academic year, all continuing students will be! allowed to pre-register during the winter term for next fall's courses using the new program as a standard, he said. Preceded by Consultations Robertson said the decision! came after consultations with the other ex-officio members of the literary c o 11 e g e Administrative Board, of which he is chairman. Besides Robertson, the Board * consists of ex-officio members George Anderson, assistant dean for academic counselors in the freshman - sophomore counseling office; Prof. Otto Graff, director of the honors program; James Shaw, administrative assistant to the associate dean in charge of junior-senior counseling; and six elected faculty members. Robertson said the new system of requirements allows students a greater sense of choice and respon- sibility. Approved by Regents Friday The plan was proposed by the, W faculty curriculum committee ap proved by the literary college fac- ulty earlier this fall and given final approval by the Regents at their meeting last Friday. Under the new system: -Students elect three courses. apiece from each of the required areas of social sciences, humani- ties and natural sciences rather than being required to 'fulfill a certain number of course hours from each area as under the old system; -Students may choose any three courses from each area, not being restricted to a limited list of approved courses, not being forced to elect a two-semester se-I quence is one department and not being restricted to taking only a certain number of hours in any one department as under the! previous system; -Courses from the mathematics and philosophy departments may be substituted for one of the re- quired courses in any of the two basic areas; -Students are required to take What's New at 764-18171 Council. Approves Mayor s Hot Line Twenty-nine University students participated in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition held last Saturday. The same test was simultaneously administered to 1500 college students throughout North America. Early in December a committee of mathematicians will begin to grade the papers and the results of the competition will be announced the first week in January. The first prize for the in- dividual winner will be a tuition scholarship plus a $2500 stipend to attend the Graduate School of Mathematics at Harvard University. * * * Sunday night's mass meeting for Winter Weekend '66 drew a crowd of over 250 people to the Michigan League Ballroom. General Co-chairmen Pat McCarty, '67, and Tom Sherman, '66, explained the plans and goals of this year's event: and an- nounced the theme of the weekend, "Operation M-trigue." The theme revolves around mystery, spies, espionage and other topics in the area of intrigue. Winter Weekend will be held Feb. 25-26, two weeks later than the dates originally announced in the UAC calendar note- book. Rep. Weston E. Vivian (D-Ann Arbor) announced yesterday that the University is receiving a $36,000 supplemental research contract for continued studies on nonlinear interaction phe- nomena in the ionosphere from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The University is one of 19 in- stitutions receiving new or supplemental NASA contracts this week. An estimated 150 students and members of the Ann Arbor community have signed up at present to participate in the march on Washington for peace in Viet Nam. On Nov. 26 they will leave by bus at 8:30 p.m. and plat to arrive in Washington at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. At 11 a.m. they will assemble in front of the White House. A mass assembly and a program of speakers will begin at 2 p.m. at the Washington Monument. Participants have been told that there will be no civil dis- obedience and that the march is to have an "affirmative and creative tone." Students may sign up for the march in the Fish- bowl until the Wednesday deadline. Long Distance The School of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee Institute has recently formed a faculty committee which will visit Ann Arbor for the purpose of extending relations with the University. The group, headed by Prof. Stanley Smith, chairman of the Division of Social Sciences at Tuskegee, will explore student in- terest in a recently announced exchange program. A counter- part committee is also being formed by William Haber, dean of the literary college. The University-Tuskegee committee will hold an open meet- ing on Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in Rm. 2029 Angell Hall to explain the exchange program, in which University students spend a semester at Tuskegee. "The Schiff Papers," a booklet containing statements of Paul Schiff in defense of his readmission to Michigan State University and by MSU Vice-President John Fuzak defending the university's denial of his readmission bid, were distrbuted at MSU yesterday by the Student Rghts Committee. Last week, all the senior editors of the State News except editor-in-chief Charles Wells resigned over Well's and faculty advisor Louis Berman's refusal to print the statements while hearings on his controversial activities were still in process. Schiff, a former graduate student at MSU, was denied re- admission to MSU last June because of violations of MSU regu- lations on politicial activity. The current hearings, to which the statements were' submitted, were ordered by a federal district court last month. ** * * Retired Harvard Prof. Howard Mumford Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of books on American literature and culture, has resigned a visiting professorship at the University of Texas for the next semester in protest against the university's required loyalty oath. Housing Board Appointees Professors Back State Master Pla (croup Advocates Local Autonomy, Ordered Growth By NEAL BRUSS Expansion of state educational facilities and the retention of in- stitutional autonomyfor higher education were stressed by the Michigan Conference of the Amer- ican Association of University Pro- fessors at its annual meeting Sa- turday at Adrian College. The conference "passed a reso- lution strongly supporting long-' range planning for higher edu- cation in Michigan," according to Prof. Ralph A. Loomis of the English department, president of the Michigan Conference. The group supported completion of a master plan for education in Michigan by the State Board of Education by January 1, 1967. The plan had been suggested by the conference last February. Prof. Wilfred Kaplan of the mathematics department and chairman of the conference'st Committee on Coordination of Higher Education said that theI date was realistic as similar plans had been developed in other states in comparable periods. Kaplan said that the plan should be "comprehensive andC specific," detailing broad princi- ples for expansion of education in a long-range program of increas- ing higher educational resources. He also felt that large-scale expansion of educational facilities should be delayed until adoption of a master plan so that overall development would be orderly and directed by a defined state pur- pose. Kaplan felt that the report of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Com- mittee on Higher Education had made "a big start" at developing such a comprehensive long-range plan. In addition to calling for such a master plan, the conference advo- cated review of studies and master planning of other states and crea- tion of advisory committees with faculty representation included to examine drafts of the Michigan master plan when completed. In other recommendations, the conference advocated "establish- ment of appropriate safeguards of! 1 institutional autonomy." -Daily-Thomas R. Copi PICKETS FROM LOCAL CHAPTERS- of CORE and NAACP shown before last night's City Council meeting protesting Mayor Wendell E. Hulcher's housing'commission appointments. FOR RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE: Adviso Gry Group Seeks Nvew Grading Sse 6-5 Decision, Splits Down PartyL Hundred Picketers, Council Democrats Oppose Nominations By BOB CARNEY The Ann Arbor City Council last night approved Mayor Wendell E. Hulcher's five appointments to the city's housing commission de- spite pickets and strong minority statements in opposition. The vote was 6-5, with Hulcher and the other five Republicans overriding unanimous Democratic dissent. The five commissioners-Henry V. Aquinto, chairman, Joseph E. Edwards, Edward Conlin, Robert Powell, and Lyndon Welch-will take up their duties immediately. Making a final statement, the Mayor said, "These people should be judged on their action as com- missioners, not prejudged. I am confident they will act to solve the housing problem." A line of about 100 picketed the city hall prior to the meeting un- der sponsorship of the Congress of Racial Equality, the National As- sociation for the Advancement of Colored People and several other Negro civic groups. Speaking for the pickets, Bun- yon Bryant of CORE said, "We feel that the mayor's appoint- ments are not representative of the entire community. People were chosen who represent the groups that opposed the establishment of the commissiona(the city Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Realtors). In a sense, the minority has won." ' "We feel that the mayor has put political unity above a decent com- munity," said Dr. Albert Wheeler of NAACP, referring to the fact that the three Republican mem- bers of the commission represent a wide spectrum of ideology' with- in that party." "The Negro community views this as a rationally discriminatory act," he added. Republican Councilmen Richard E. Balzhiser and John Hathaway spoke in support of the mayor's choices, after recalling their ex- perience on the housing committee that recommended the commis- sion. "The commissioners will provide the needed objective viewpoint," said Balzhiser. "All the claims of housing need in this area have not By HARVEY WASSERMAN The student advisory committee of the Residential College yester- day unanimously approved a. revo- lutionary grading system to be recommended for approval by the, college's faculty committee. The new system is designed to combine the benefits of a semi- standard structural grading sys- tem with those of a looser self-; evaluating process which would be designed. to include a student's own feeling for his overall educa- tional experience, an experience which would be evaluated in terms of extra-curricular learning as well as the experiences of the classroom. Formulated by committee mem- ber Kenneth Winter, '66, the sys-- tem involved three essential bases for the formation of a formal and official evaluation of a student's I work in the college. Instructor's Evaluation First The student's work would first{ be evaluated by his course in- structors. This would involve the instructors' submitting a "grade" option of approving- the student's transcript or advising him to make deletions or additions, and perhaps even aiding in its composition before giving it final approval. If the board found that the student had really experienced little learning outside the class- room, however, it could recom- mend that the clerical instructor- evaluation transcript be left to stand as the official one. The student committee hoped that this system would allow an official expression of a general educational experience on a tran- script and in a fulfillment of a degree requirement rather than tie a collegiate career to an often inflexible set of requirements which would tend to detract from the seeking of an educational "ex- perience" as such. According to Winter, it is not expected that the faculty commit- tee probably will be able to con- sider the student group's recom- mendations until early next year. U.S. Bombs Two Missile Sites in North Near Hanoi SAIGON, South Viet Nam OP)- U.S. Air Force jets blasted two Soviet-made missile sites north- west of Hanoi yesterday hitting one missile while it was still on the launching pad, a military spokesman announced today. One of the missile sites, 34 field under construction 50 miles northwest of Hanoi and destroyed or damaged 45 buildings. Pilots said they cratered the runway and destroyed four anti- aircraft sites. The field, called Phu Tho, is 50 miles northwest of Hanoi.