A new integrated computer-assisted personalized assignment (CAPA) system that creates individual assignments for each student has been developed and found to be a powerful motivator. The CAPA system allows students to enter their answers to personalized assignments directly via networked terminals, gives immediate feedback and hints (allowing challenging questions), while providing the instructor with on-line performance information. The students are encouraged to study together which is known to be an effective learning strategy, but each must still obtain his/her own correct answers. Students are allowed to re-enter solutions to the problems before the due date without penalty, thus providing students with different skills levels the opportunity and incentive to understand the material without being judged during the learning process. The features and operation of the system are described, observations on its use in an introductory general physics class are reported, and some of the highly favorable student reactions are included.

A two-year project to study and assess the use of technology to enhance student learning and performance is described. Networked systems have been employed to generate personalized assignments and to provide instant feedback and on-line assistance to students. Traditional recitation sections have been eliminated and their role filled by networked assistance and by a centralized learning center where the Socratic method was used to promote understanding. Participatory exercises and quizzes during lecture sessions were used to foster a more active learning environment. This approach, which incorporates a considerable use of asynchronous learning network technology, can significantly improve student achievement in large classes.

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The computer-assisted personalized assignment system has been used to prepare and present conceptual, qualitative questions to students in large introductory classes. The questions appear to be effective in helping students to grasp concepts, as they stimulate dialogue and discussion among the students while they are seeking correct solutions, and provide the instructor with feedback on difficulties students encounter with certain concepts. No formal evaluation of the effectiveness of these questions has been made. Many conceptual, qualitative questions for introductory physics have been written with this system and used in assignments. Several examples are given and briefly discussed.

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