A Checksheet is a printed form that sets out the items to be studied or
actions done by a student,
item by
item, on a course. It lists all the materials of the course in the order they
are to be studied. For each item there is a line where the student puts his initials and
the date when the study of it is completed. In case it has to be checked out by
another, the other person signs it off. When somebody else has to check it out it
is called a star-rated item and is
marked with a star (*) on the Checksheet. The Checksheet is thus the program
that the student follows to complete that course. The data and drills of the
course are studied and done in the order given.
The materials are laid out on the Checksheet in the best
and most logical order for study so the student covers all the materials on a
good gradient. Following the exact order of the Checksheet has a disciplinary
function as well. It helps the student to progress in his study in an
orderly fashion.
The student does not sign off an item until he knows and
can apply the data. By signing off he attests that he knows it in detail and can
apply what is contained in the materials or drills.
When the supervisor or another student signs
off a star-rated item it is an attestation by that person that he has given the student a
star-rate check-out on the item and that the student has passed. The course
supervisor must inspect students' checksheets daily to ensure that all students
are following the Checksheet in its correct order and that the student is
making good progress. "Checksheet Done" means the student has gone through the
entire checksheet, theory, practical and drills, and done it all in the right sequence.
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How fast or slow a student is doesn't matter
with
the checksheet system. He can stay on one step
until he has achieved certainty. |
Study Speed and Checksheets
Using the checksheet system allows the student to study at his own speed. He can
spend more time on items he finds difficult and can quickly get though items he
finds easy. It is thus very different from the normal system of classroom
education where the teacher sets the study speed for the whole class.
The checksheet system has several advantages over the traditional system:
- Students can study at their own speed, making sure
they really understand to apply it before going on to the next checksheet item.
- The system allows misunderstood words to be cleared
right away when they are encountered.
- The student can at any point go back and restudy materials
that wasn't fully mastered or understood. In the traditional system he is
flunked at the end of the course and has to do it all over again.
- A student can be started on a course at any time thus
beginning a course does not depend on a semester or starting time. The
student follows the checksheet
and studies by him- or herself. Other students and the supervisor are there to help
out, of course, but basically he follows the recorded materials (print,
audio or video) as they are listed on the checksheet. The material is the
"teacher". The supervisor's job is to keep the course room free of
distractions, to make sure the student actually studies and uses the Study Technology correctly.
The teacher is also helpful when the student has questions.
What we want to achieve in training is a string of
certainties. We want each student to fully understand each step before going to
the next step. This does not mean that doing a course slowly is better than doing it fast.
Speed isn't the key. Certainty is. Usually fast students do better as graduates and practitioners than slow
ones do. But only if the fast ones have done their study
honestly, step-by-step, and each step to certainty, full understanding or
competence. The checksheet system allows this to happen whether the student
is "slow" or "fast". As a result it shortens the time needed
in training.
Adding to Checksheets
Every student is given a complete Checksheet at the start
of a course. This is the program to be followed in order to complete the course. It is not
added to after starting work on it. It is in its final form when it is
handed to him. The printed form may be added to before the student starts on it,
but is not added to after starting (during) the course.
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