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PSI-Dr Des Moines, Ia. (IP)- Drake University has changed its introductory psychology course so that students must receive A's on the tests for each unit before they can go on to the next lesson. They can also take tests on a unit three times to get an A, for which they must answer 85 percent of the questions correctly. The object of the course is to get students to mas ter as much material as thoroughly as they can before the course ends. The reward of receiving A's motivates most of the students to such an extent that they receive higher final grades than they would have been expected to receive under the conventional system. Last fall, 55 percent of the students tak ing the course received A's, and 17 percent obtained B's. The reward of receiving A's motivates most of the students to such an extent that they receive higher final grades than they would have been expected to receive under the conventional system. Last fall, 55 percent of the students tak ing the course received A's, and 17 percent obtained B's. "And I can assure you the exams aren't easy," said Dr. Jon E. Krapfl, Associate Professor of Psychology. He and Dr. W. Scott Wood, Assistant Professor of Psychology, who is teaching psychology 51 this fall, call the course a self-paced mastery criterion course. That means that in addition to mastering each unit they students have the privilege of taking the unit tests at a rate of completion which they, and not the instructor, deter mines. This flexibility is possible because the course uses a "Learning Center," open 40 hours a week, instead of merely providing 2 or 3 lectures a week in a conven tional classroom. The Learning Center is staffed by faculty, graduate assistants, and undergraduate teaching appren tices, all of whom help the students successfully complete the course. However, some lectures are given for the students' enrichment. Attendance is optional, but students can earn points toward their final grades by attending. Most of the students attend anyway. They say they like to hear what they have learned applied in a sophisticated manner. The lectures go beyond those of typical introductory course. The proce dures under which the course is taught have evolved at Drake dur ing the last two years, and the stu dents have high praise for them. In a poll of those who took the course last spring, 69 percent rated It as excellent or good, and 66 percent ake's pot indicated strongly that they would favor taking a course taught under similar methods. Dr. Wood said the course has been successful because it is a "per sonalized system of instruction," which he and his colleagues call "psi" for short. The basic principles under which the course is taught were devised by Dr. Fred Keller, aided by his colleague Dr. Jack Michael, with both of whom Dr. Wood has done post-doctoral work at Western Michigan University. Dr. Keller's first principle is to "think small." "This course," Dr. Wood said, "is prepared in such a way that the knowledge is provided in reasonalbe, easily acquired amounts. The learner is never asked for something he can't do without a great deal of effort. His success at small tasks will motivate him on to solve more complex problems." He said Dr. Keller devised this teaching approach after years of basic research with learning pro cesses. The approach uses some of the same principles as programmed instruction. "The person who pre pares the texts must, first of all, have clear behavioral objectives in mind," Dr. Wood said. The psi methods also allow an instructor to handle many more students than the conventional ones do. Dr. Leland P. Johnson, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said other courses using the psi methods would be offered in the near future. "The use of students in aiding others to learn," he said, "may be a most significant contribution to higher education. "The enthusiasn of students who have recently completed the course is shared with the new enrollees. Aiding others in the learning pro cess matures the student tutors and improves their learning efficiency. In addition, the development of a cooperative community of scholars may be a possible deterrent to the rising costs of higher education." Because so many students receive A's and B's in psychology 51, Dr. Wood asked if a new stan dard of quality should be used in evaluating their performance. "The conventional'system that insists on most students receiving C's and only a few getting A's and F's," he said, "actually only repliCates the student's aptitudes. "If a body of knowledge or-a set of skills is to be imparted, it should not be done in a random fashion. We should have clear behavioral objec tives for our students. Each student should achieve the objectives of the course.". He praised the nqj svote- fr. In the future, if c finds itself with the let us not forget ti have learned frc Remember its ho pretenses, and th thousands of inno Remember it all v who do not remer tory are destined to know, now, that it i pourri of allowing average students the change to demonstrate that they can master a prescribed amount of material. "We've often motivated people who get D's and F's to get B's and C's," he said. The primary objective of psychology 51, he said, is to expose the students to as much of the field as possible. "A university," Dr. Wood said, "is supposed to be a place where students learn and not just where they can earn credit hours. There are many more things to life than the verbal mas tery of knowledge and skills. That's monday bloody n Eagleton BY MIKE HEMBREE Some leftover political turkey for consumption during the holidays: Before the world immortalizes Tom Eagleton as the greatest stric ken saint of all time, let us stop and do some remembering, a habit the Missouri senator is apparently not too fond of. Let it be recalled that Tom Eagle ton somehow forgot his past medi cal treatments during the giddiness of the Democratic Convention pro ceedings and his subsequent nam ing to the McGovern ticket. Let it also be recalled that Tom Eagleton Gjuldn't recall any "s keletons in his closet" when the McGovern staff skimmed over his political career in the final hectic minutes. To be sure, there were many people at fault in the Eagleton affair. McGovern's staff should have had its vice-presidential choice decided upon and anointed before the convention. McGovern's collective brain trust, which worked so smoothly throughout the primaries, fumbled the v-p situation. Everyone appar ently thought Edward Kennedy would accept the spot, despite his repeated objections, up until the last minute. McGovern's people evi dently knew little about Eagleton (who did?) when the fickle finger of fate reached his name on the now fabled list of vice-presidential pos sibilities. Yet, despite the ineptitude of the McGovern workers, the whole mess could have been avoided if Eagleton had simply made his medical record known in the very first discussions. He would of course be dronpping a >ur generation option of war, ie lessons we m Vietnam. rror, its false e suffering of cent people. vell, for those 7ber their his repeat it. And s not over yet. learning why we must lay down objectives for our students to become broadly educated well rounded citizens. That's what a liberal arts program should develop. We must get away from credit hours and into behavioral goals." Dr. Wood has made four changes in psychology 51 for this year: 1. Instead of a standard text, the students now have behavioral objectives in the form of study guides actually incorporated within the text materials, so they know exactly what is expected of them. "This should shift our grading ionday didn't se great opportunity, certainly the best of his life, but a political vete ran such as he should have foreseen the harm that could develop. Eagleton should not be burdened with the blame for McGovern's loss; the cause was hopeless from the beginning. But many of the voters wavering on the fence between Nixon and McGovern, particularly the traditional Democrats, prob ably flopped on the Republican side when the entire fiasco was finally over. America has been falling all over itself in sympathy for Eagleton since his replacement was named. Thousands of fan letters find their way into his office each day. It's true Eagleton was treated rather rudely by the McGovern organization. But the forgetful Mis souran, apparently more popular than ever, is still very much a part of the national political scene. So let there not be too much crying in our beer. You can buy your tickets now for the 1976 presidential race, for it promises to be one of the dirtiest in recent memory. The participants will be Spiro Agnew and Edward Kennedy, pro. viding both are alive and well four years hence. And if that duo doesn't conjur up visions of a mud slinging, under-the-table battle in your head, nothing.will SQAKEW ideas curve even farther to the achieve ment side," he said. 2. The course is more freely individualized. For example, there are no specific times for taking tests on the units. 3. Students earn points toward their final grades by attending enrichment lectures as well as pass ing unit tests and taking the final examination. 4. Students who have completed all 12 units by November 20 can take the final examination on that date, three weeks before finals are usu ally given. e harm Despite some wariness from Republican regulars, Agnew has a strong foothold among the party's strength--the conservatives. The seating for the 1976 convention also favors Spiro. Senator Charles Percy of Illinois could offer a strong pull from the center, but Agnew, with his old harshness toned down a bit these days, is moving slightly away from his ultra right stands in an effort to please those Republicans nearer the middle of the road. Anyway, as one national magazine pointed out, how could the Republicans refuse the chance to use the slogan "The Spiro of '76." If Kennedy can avoid any more Oswalds, Sirhans and Chappaquid dickx, the Democratic nomination should be his for the asking in '76. Although Kennedy is close to the fallen McGovern in his ideas on many issues, he is viewed by most Democrats as a more centrist can didate than the South Dakota senator. Kennedy also has strengths among the traditional Roosevelt coalition that McGovern wasn't able to put together. A poll (already?) has Kennedy leading Agnew 51-43 in a hypotheti cal race. Some believe Kennedy, with his Senate seat also up in 1976, will continue to stay away from national office for a while, but It is doubtful he will pass up what should be a prime political year for the Democrats.