RUNNING HEAD: COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
PLATO on-line College Level Developmental learning in the High School setting
April A. Lavergne
Southeastern Louisiana University
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RUNNING HEAD: COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
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Abstract
Can college level developmental courses, offered through an on-line learning environment
improve an at risk high school senior’s chance of meeting beginning freshmen criteria at a 4 year
university? This research project will compare the performance of two groups of at risk high
school seniors in their classrooms. Two groups of students will be used for this study, and will be
tested at the end of the first eight weeks of school. Group one will receive instruction in the
PLATO on-learning environment consisting of college developmental material. Group two will
not. At the end of the eight weeks both groups will be tested using the ACT Compass equivalency
test. This test will be used to determine whether a statistically significant difference exists between
the students who used the PLATO system, and those who did not.
RUNNING HEAD: COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
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On-line based College Developmental Instruction in the High School Setting
Purpose
The Purpose of this study is to determine the effect of College level developmental
instruction offered through the PLATO on-line learning system on the practice college placement
tests of academically struggling 12th Grade students.
Review of Literature
The face of education is changing. We are now living in a world where a majority
of education is being brought us via some sort of technology.(Adams 2012) Be it a tablet, smart
phone, or computer we are living in the technology age. Therefore, the best resource for instructors
to help their students is technology. By offering students the opportunity to use on-line learning
systems such as PLATO, it is more likely that the students will succeed in their courses because
they are better able to relate to the learning style.(Green & Wagner, 2011)
The PLATO on-line learning system is a good example of this kind of technology. Students
are able to work in class through the system in class while the instructor is lecturing. The instructor
can open up lessons as the students go as well and quizzes and tests.(Powell 1990) Instructors also
have the option of opening up all of the lessons for students and allowing them to work at their own
pace, this works well for students who may move faster than their counterparts.
On-line learning has become a way for physical colleges to compete with the
growing number of on-line schools.(Colarossi, Maltzman, Perisi, Rudisel, Weiss 2011) More
students than ever before are taking on-line courses. Students in high school are being prepared
earlier and earlier to meet college admission standards, unfortunately, many of these students fall
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through the cracks and by the time they are seniors, they are missing the skills that they need to
successfully meet college admissions criteria.
Offering students the chance to receive developmental education through on-line
learning systems such as PLATO, we are giving them the opportunity to fill in those gaps they may
have with supervision from instructors that are engaged in this type of learning.(Paulson 2006)
In giving the students the benefit of on-line learning, we are giving them an environment
they are familiar. This creates a sense of comfort and therefore confidences that they can indeed
succeed in these courses, and meet the level of the requirements of the criteria being asked of them
by colleges all across the country.
This also gives colleges the benefit of knowing how these applicants are being taught and
knowing that they are admitting students that are truly meeting admission criteria and that will
succeed and add to their retention and eventual graduation rates. (Fike & Fike 2012) These two
criteria are the main reason why colleges in the United States and even colleges outside of the
United States are raising their entrance criteria.(Peterson, Burke, Segura 1999)
Now, more than ever, high school administration, staff, and instructors are using on-line
learning environments to not only help students to get to the levels that they need to move from one
grade to the next, but also for these students to be successful in the testing environments. (Foshey,
2001) This also would encompass them being successful in the beginning freshman classes that
they are taking when they are admitted to the college of their choice.
We have moved into an age of technology. With this move we need to remember that the
students we are dealing with on a daily basis are learning differently than ever before. (Phillip
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2011) It is our responsibility as educators to understand that these students need to be given many
different modes of learning for them to succeed in this new educational landscape.
Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that academically struggling 12th graders, who use the PLATO on-line
learning system to receive college level developmental education, will score statistically
significantly higher than academically struggling 12th graders who do not with respect to practice
college placement test scores.
Operational Definitions
The 12th grade students refer to the senior level students enrolled in the Option III program.
Academically struggling refers to the skill level at which these students are performing which does
not meet minimum high school skill levels. The college practice placement test refers to the ACT
COMPASS an ACT equivalency test that is given to incoming students at Northshore Technical
Community College to assess their skill level in math, reading and English. PLATO on-line
learning system refers to the on-line software the students will be using to work on the college
developmental courses.
Methodology
Research Design
This paper will use the ex post facto research design. The independent variable is the
PLATO on-line learning system. Group 1 will be 12th grade students who use the system. Group 2
will be the 12th grade students who do not use the system. The dependent variable is the practice
college placement scores. The expectation is that the students that use the PLATO system will
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perform better on the post test ACT COMPASS than the students who do not receive the college
level developmental instruction.
Sample
A convenience sample of 20, 12th grade students will be used for this study. Ten students will be
using the PLATO on-line learning system, and 10 students will serve as the control group. The 12th grade
students will all be enrolled in the Option III program at Northshore Technical Community College. Option
III is a public, last chance high school program that allows students to achieve their high school diploma
while learning a trade or working towards being ready for transfer to a 4-year college. It is located in a rural
setting near the Hammond, LA airport. The dominate ethnicity is African American, representing 60% of
the 12th grade students. One group will consist of 7 males and 3 females. The other group will consist of 8
males and 2 females. The students in the study will be 17 or 18 years old.
Instrumentation
The ACT COMPASS Diagnostics Test will be used as the post test for the purpose of this study.
The purpose of this test is to measure students' comprehension of college level math, English, and reading
skills. The diagnostic test will evaluate the skills as follows: reading comprehension, vocabulary, reader
profile, writing skills domains, writing an essay and math skill levels in pre-algebra and algebra. The format
of the questions varies with each section. The Pre-Algebra and Algebra sections outline a problem and then
give multiple choice answers for the students to choose from. The English portion consists of several essays
written on various topics. The Reading portion is comprehension based; the student reads a passage then
answers multiple choice questions concerning the passage. The length of the test depends on the student; it
is not a timed instrument. The questions vary on the skill level of the student taking the test. The authors of
the test relied on information gathered from the ACT National Curriculum Survey to develop content
validity. Adequate reliability and validity show this test to be a useful measure of comprehension
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achievement and to ensure that the diagnostics meet the needs of colleges and career readiness.
Procedures
To begin this study, two groups of Option III 12th grade students will be chosen. Each class
will complete the testing required by the Option III program. The test looks at the general
knowledge one would need in order to be successful in their 12th grade curriculum in order for
them to graduate and continue on to college. All of the students will be asked to participate in the
test to see what their current skill level is concerning academic achievement. After the testing is
complete, the students in Group 1 will begin using the PLATO on-line learning system on top of
the instruction they are already receiving. Group 2 will be using the PLATO system and only have
the instruction they are currently receiving. The 8 weeks will see Group 1 working through the
PLATO on-line learning system every other day during the week. After the end of the first 8
weeks, both groups will take the ACT COMPASS. The students will also be asked after
completing the ACT COMPASS how they felt about either using PLATO or not using PLATO.
The researcher will gather and compare the results to determine if the students who received the
instruction performed better than their counterparts who did not. The students will not be randomly
assigned to the groups because the Option III program uses co-horts with the students that are
admitted into the program.
Data Analysis
To determine whether a statistically significant difference exists between students who
complete the college level developmental instruction using the PLATO on-line learning system
and the students who do not, the Two-sample t-test, will be used.
RUNNING HEAD: COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL
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