Criterion-referenced instruction

SELF-PACED, INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING characterizes Criterion-Referenced Instruction (CRI), an instructional systems design methodology developed by Dr. Robert F. Mager. Yet these characteristics are simply the visible manifestations of the process; the real cornerstone of CRI is the performance objective, or criterion.

The Origins of CRI

Dr. Mager's learning theories grew from his experiences working on "government sponsored training and education projects in the 1960s" (Rosenberg et al, 1992). These experiences led Mager, along with Peter Pipe, "to develop practical suggestions for analyzing performance problems (or opportunities) and their causes" (Rosenberg et al, 1992). The fundamental thesis upon which the CRI methodology is built is that "the outcomes of instruction must be identifiable, observable, and measurable"(Rosenberg et al, 1992).

The CRI methodology follows the ADDIE model. The matrix below compares the ADDIE model with the CRI model for instructional development.

ADDIE	CRI
Analyze	-Describe Learning Environment -Describe Relevant Practice
Design	-Draft Module Practice -Derive Content/Activities -Derive Delivery System
Develop	-Draft Module -Try Out Module
Implement	-Prepare Modules -Prepare Implementation Instructions
Evaluate	-Revise Module

The CRI Method of Achieving Training Objectives

CRI develops training in the form of "modules." In CRI a module is a single unit of instruction with a single instructional objective, and it includes all the necessary resources to support that instructional objective.

As described in CRI, a good objective has three parts: The performance, the conditions, and the criterion. The performance describes what the learner will do; the conditions describe the environment in which the learner will do it; and the criterion describes the degree, or standard, to which it must be done.

Of equal importance, however, is the expectation in CRI that the "time to complete a module…will vary according to the amount of instruction and practice needed to meet the criteria of the objective." (Mager, 1991) Thus, in true CRI methodology, learners must work independently because they must proceed through the learning objectives at their own pace.

A training course developed in the CRI methodology is likely to have multiple objectives, and therefore multiple modules. The modules need not be completed in linear fashion. Of course, prerequisites must be completed first. However, because the learning environment is self-paced, the learner usually has the option to create his own "path" through the curriculum.

CRI in the Classroom

The individualized and self-paced nature of CRI places a different kind of emphasis on how the learning environment is prepared. Instruction is no longer driven by lecture from the front of the room; the instructor becomes a course manager, or facilitator. With no lecture, there is no need for desks to face any particular direction, or to be arranged in rows and columns as in the typical classroom. The learning takes place all around the room, so desks can be positioned where needed to provide freedom of movement and a sense of personal space for the learners.

As course manager, the instructor adopts a non-traditional role. Teaching points are driven by student need, as opposed to instructor or course requirement. This leads to private consultations with students. And since the students are usually at different stages of progress, the instructor may be called on to discuss any of the course objective areas at any given time. This can sound off-putting to new instructors in CRI, but with experience it is quite manageable.

Conclusion

For the student and instructor alike, the CRI methodology forces a paradigm shift. Since all the learning resources reside within the module, the responsibility for learning now rests squarely on the shoulders of the learner. This removes the burden of teaching from the instructor who is now free to assist individual students when needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brian Moore, Graduate Student
SDSU Educational Technology

Moore, B. (2006). Criterion-referenced instruction. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved from