Date of Award
3-30-1987
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Abstract
As an educational instruction, Malcom X College has recognized the need to improve student learning and instructional strategies as a primary solution to the problem of student attrition rates and low motivation and achievement scores. The City Colleges of Chicago found that approaches associated with an increased in student courses completion rates included the use of individualized computer-based FLATO system, among others. Investing heavily on PLATO, Malcom X College has instituted the computer operation system which is used by the college faculty for both supplementary and independent instruction of students. Because of lack of existing evidence to support PLATO’s effectiveness as an independent instructional method like the lecture, the study was conducted to determine if teaching by PLATO would result in the same grade achievement of students taught by the lecture method. The hypothesis was that there is a significant difference in the test scores of students if one group were taught by means of the computer compared to another group taught by lecture. He study was conducted with a class of thirty students from a course who were split evenly into two matched groups. Group I received instruction on PLATO and the other group, by lecture. A test was then administered to both groups together. Group I scored lower with a group mean score of 70.67% compared to the lecture-instructed group whose mean score was 84.80%. The difference was highly significant at p.0007. Recommendations from the study include a need for further researchers using PLATO with other programmed instructions as well as faculty involvement with program development to more faculty establish PLATO;s effectiveness as a teaching strategies for students.