“There Has Been a Conspiracy of Silence About Teaching”, published in Education Week, 8/31/83, covers and interview with Prof. B.F. Skinner in which he argues that “Pedagogy is Key to School Reforms”. This article best describes the method: mastery learning/outcomes based education/direct instruction being implemented across the nation under the label of scientific research based instruction. In this remarkable interview the late Professor Skinner argues states “conditioning theories have been instrumental in the development of mastery learning and the “teaching machines” of the 1960’s, and says that “computers, as they are most commonly used, are essentially sophisticated versions of the ‘teaching machines’ of the 1960’s which used programmed learning (instruction). Article is of significance due to current (2006) emphasis on use of computers K-12.
Download Science About Teaching-Walton on Skinner-Ed Week-1983