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SEM Learning System helps Students and Teachers in a two-pronged aid to education from The Self-Education Manual.

The SEM Learning System helps both students and teachers in a two-pronged approach to improving education. It allows students to teach themselves, and allows teachers to inspire them to do so by employing quizzes and reinforcement. Results in three classes of university chemistry lab students in 2019 showed all students to exhibit rapt attention, steady work and no complaints throughout each class period.

In the Manual, students are shown how to choose and sequence a set of study methods tailored to a specific learning object. An example of teacher’s leadership is to introduce on the first day of class an expectation of many high grades; and then administer weekly fourteen-question quizzes (for practicing the study methods), after first providing answers days in advance on study sheets. Even if only valued at 10% of the grade, this seems to provide students with a feeling of having some control over their grades. An offer of make-up quizzes for absentees and for quizzes receiving grades below 70% encourages more practice. It also helps, if, when grading classwork, surprise bonus points and written compliments are given for any noticed exemplary efforts.