March 2002 — Features
Print this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Adding Up the Distance: Can Developmental Studies Work in a Distance Learning Environment?
Most reports of distance education applications focus on academically accomplished learners. But for community colleges and adult learning programs, the more common learner is in need of developmental studies. Developmental learners are not new to academic institutions, and the profile of the developmental learner extends beyond income, race and gender lines. Despite great need and high demand for service, there is little research on how to reach these learners successfully through dis-tance education.
In spring 1999, the League for Innovation in the Community College, PLATO Learning Inc. and eight community colleges initiated an action research project titled "Adding Up the Distance: Critical Success Factors for Internet-Based Learning in Developmental Mathe-matics." The project explored the questions and challenges of implementing successful distance learning in developmental math programs for community colleges across the country. We reasoned that since developmental studies learners, by definition, have not succeeded in conventional campus classroom activities, it might be possible to develop new distance education formats that successfully meet these learners' needs.
Project Goals
Our research consortium included eight participating colleges that committed to full implementation of PLATO Web Learning Network courseware as part of their developmental mathematics program. An earlier version called PLATO on the Internet was also available for the study. Participating colleges designated two faculty members and made significant commitments to training and service time toward project goals. A pilot was conducted in the summer, followed by a full study during the fall semester. Our goal was to explore critical success factors for computer-based distance learning in developmental math programs. We outlined four areas of investigation:
1.
Development of effective, individualized and open entry/open exit
('E/'E) programs for developmental learners via distance
education.
2. Cultivation of learners' motivations through the use of
technology in developmental studies programs using distance
education.
3. Exploration of successful developmental learner profiles
using distance learning technology.
4. Effective combinations of campus-based support service and
distance learning delivery systems as models of success for
developmental learners.
The project's goals com-bined grades, college pro-files, and learner and faculty feedback as factors of study. Therefore, the research de-sign included quantitative and qualitative analyses. As an Internet-based project, data collection forms and materials were made available through the League's Web site. During the project, learners and faculty completed survey documents online, and their responses were captured to a database. A listserv was also established as a primary communication tool among participants and researchers. Six primary data sets, which are summarized below, were collected for analysis:
