title: A Study to Determine the Status of Audio Learning Laboratories Used for Shorthand Instruction in Utah
Creators: name: McPherson, Carol
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 1969

description: This is the age of change or revolution . In the field of shorthand, we are also having a revolution . First of all, we have the new Diamond Jubilee Revision of Gregg Shorthand, which in itself is quite a revolution. However, it is probably in the area of new teaching media and equipment that the greatest revolution is taking place .
The importance of new equipment and teaching media has been accentuated by innovations in curriculum planning such as modular scheduling . An important feature" .. . of the modular program is that the unscheduled or 'free' time ranges from 15 to 50 percent of a student's schedule and is to be used for independent study."
Such "free" time could be spent by shorthand students in hours of shorthand dictation practice . As a result of modular scheduling, shorthand practice dictation laboratories can now be included in the regular school-day curriculum. Prior to the advent of modular scheduling, the shorthand student did not have time during the regular school day to take advantage of outside-of-class, teacher-directed dictation. However, this lack of practice time is now being counteracted and business teachers appear to be taking steps to insure the opportunity of added dictation practice out of class as well as dictation procedures during regular class periods.
The combination of flexible scheduling (or other programs instigated by administrators or teachers designed to allow for individual differences in student ability) and audio learning laboratories can make an important contribution in the area of new teaching and equipment. One " ... goal of flexible scheduling is to individualize instruction allowing students to learn at their own pace." This goal is certainly compatible, if not identical, to that of audio learning laboratories .
An adequate amount of dictation practice is a major factor in developing shorthand writing skill and speed. "Over the years, one of the most frustrating aspects of shorthand teaching has been the difficulty of providing appropriate dictation practice for varying student abilities within a class group." The availability of audio learning devices provides not only shorthand dictation at various speeds but also frees the teacher to give more attention to the needs of individual students. Through an arrangement such as a multi-channel dictation laboratory, "individual students are given dictation within their immediate skill range and challenged to progress to the next higher range."
Dictation equipment, such as the types discussed in this report, may be the means to more individualized study and should be considered to help insure a more complete educational experience for the students who elect shorthand classes from the business curriculum .
Education is one of the world's truly basic problems--a problem accentuated by the population explosion . There is no single answer to it, but one that is increasingly catching the interest of educators is the use of electronic recording instruments .
This study reports the extent to which business educators in Utah are utilizing such electronic recording instruments to help solve educational problems .