NCJ Number
3231
Date Published
1971
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EMPLOYING EDUCATIONALLY ADVANCED INMATES AS ONE-TO-ONE BASIC EDUCATION TUTORS FOR INMATE STUDENTS WAS EVALUATED.
Abstract
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS EVALUATION, AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MOST EFFICIENT MATERIAL PRESENTATION AND TESTING TECHNIQUES USING THIS MANPOWER RESOURCE WAS CONDUCTED. TUTORS AND STUDENTS WERE SELECTED FROM INMATES PARTICIPATING IN AN ONGOING EXPERIMENTAL-DEMONSTRATION TOKEN ECONOMY PROJECT LOCATED AT AN INSTITUTION FOR ADULT MALE FELONS. THREE DIFFERENT MODES OF PRESENTING PROGRAMMED MATERIAL (ENGLISH 2600) AND TWO MODES OF TESTING BOTH IMMEDIATE (ONE DAY) AND LONG-TERM (ONE WEEK< RETENTION WERE USED, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE MODES WAS ASSESSED IN TERMS OF ACCURACY AND RESPONSE RATE. PRECISION TEACHING WAS SHOWN TO GENERATE HIGHER RATES OF EMISSION OF CORRECT RESPONSES ON CRITERION TESTS THAN THE TEACHING MACHINE, WHICH IN TURN EXCEEDED THE RATES GENERATED BY THE TEXTBOOK ALONE. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY TOWARD THE DESIGN OF INMATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED, EMPHASIZING FACTORS SUCH AS ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY, EFFICIENCY MEASURES, AND PERIPHERAL EFFECTS ON THE INMATE CULTURE.