Programmed instruction is a field first studied extensively by the behaviorist B.F. Skinner. It consists of teaching through small lessons, where each lesson must be mastered in order to go on to the next. Students work through the programmed material by themselves at their own speed. After each step, they are presented with a question to test their comprehension, then are immediately shown the correct answer or given additional information. This idea was later adapted by Robert M. Gagné, who invented programmed learning for use in teaching in schools. The difference between programmed instruction (PI) and programmed learning (PL) is that PI is intended to modify behavior, whereas PL is used for teaching facts and skills. The Keller Plan, named for Fred S. Keller, was a famous idea for how to incorporate programmed learning into the classroom. Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 _ August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist and author. ... Robert M. Gagné (1916–2002) is best known for his Conditions of Learning. Gagné pioneered the science of instruction during WWII for the air force with pilot training. ... Programmed Learning is a learning technique first proposed by the behaviorist B. F. Skinner in 1958. ...

Here is a useful link: Programmed Instruction