RIT is an alternative approach to an effective and efficient mass primary education. Its thesis is that both the time required for student learning and the time that teachers must spend in support of learning can be reduced through the design and scheduling of learning.

RIT is also an attempt to increase learning efficiency through the use of well-prepared learning materials. Such learning is controlled in most situations by instructions provided in the learning materials themselves. In situations where such forms of control are not very effective, teachers are employed to facilitate learning. Through better learning strategies and appropriate designs of the instructional programs, the time spent on learning is reduced by increasing the learning speed of the student, and by decreasing the amount of time that teachers need to spend with their students.

The purpose of Project RIT was “to test the practicability of one hypothesis advanced by INNOTECH on an economical and efficient delivery system for mass primary education in the SEAMEO Region.” The project was conducted in Thailand, with funding support from the Government of the United States.