I was not, but looking now (only skimmed a few articles so far) - it's so interesting that the essential underlying idea for machine-assisted-learning was already laid out clearly by over 65 years ago, and yet, such systems don't appear to be all that widespread despite having been proven to increase learning - makes me wonder what the real blockers are..

As for Skinner's core belief that positive reinforcement is a more effective long-term motivator for learning, I couldn't agree more, and have seen it time and time again when user-testing with kids.

I think we forget as adults just how much mental energy is needed to approach a new concept or idea. And the energy level of kids can wane very quickly when they're discouraged (never mind punishment, even just 2-3 wrong questions in a row with encouraging parents present can sap them completely). I think we also forget how earth-shattering it can be to get a question wrong - I've seen kids go from answering questions correctly no problem, to completely doubting whether they still understand even the basics of the questions they were previously getting correct.

I've found it's crucial to help build back up their confidence whenever this happens. Part of the benefit of Grokkoli is that it will immediately try to get to the core of the learner's confusion towards a given question, usually by asking troubleshooting questions that start with the simplest/easiest components of a question and build back up to the original. And a big part of why this works is that it restores kids confidence very quickly at that moment.

Once their energy is back up, kids are primed to learn, and they want to keep going. Grokkoli checks in with learners after a certain number of questions (a function of their grade-level) to see if they want to take a break. So far, I'm seeing kids opt to keep answering questions 3-5 times per session.

Englemann's ideas seem a little more complex (not as easily distillable) but every bit as interesting - I need to read more before getting back to you.

Thank you for sharing, and definitely let me know if there's anything else you recommend I look into.