DEOSNEWS Vol. 2  No. 8.
Copyright 1992 DEOS - The Distance Education Online Symposium
   
Editor: Morten Flate Paulsen, MFP101@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Review: Philip W. Pinder
   
DEOS was established with a grant from the Annenberg/CPB Project.
   
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               DISTANCE EDUCATION AS A MEDIUM FOR PROMOTING
   
        THE COLLEGE PREPARATION AND ATTENDANCE OF MINORITY STUDENTS
   
                               John McGowan
                      Department of Teacher Education
                         1000 East Victoria Street
                             Carson, CA 90747
                E-mail: JMCGOWAN@DHVX20.CSUDH.EDU
   
   
Abstract
   
A unique distance education project for promoting the college preparation
and attendance of minority high school students is described and evaluated.
This project is based on a collaborative effort between an urban university
and a high school utilizing CODEC interactive television technology.
Suggestions for using distance education in this context are offered.
   
   
Introduction
   
     A unique distance education project has recently been initiated at
California State University, Dominguez Hills to improve the college
preparation and attendance of minority students. CSU Dominguez Hills, part
of the California State University system, is a mid-sized university in
south-central Los Angeles, which predominately serves communities with
large Black and Hispanic populations. A major challenge facing this
university is how to better serve these populations, which are significant-
ly underrepresented in higher education. The problems of low rates of
college attendance and poor preparation for college for certain minority
and low-income students are well known and have proven difficult to solve.
     In response to these problems, CSU Dominguez Hills has begun a project
utilizing interactive television (CODEC) to establish an educational link
with students at an inner-city high school. This link is designed to give
students exposure to an enriched high school curriculum and college-level
instruction, with the goal of improving their education and motivation for
college. Traditionally, distance education has served older students
primarily studying post-secondary and professional courses. Recently,
however, interest has focused on serving younger, less traditional students
with special learning needs (Ross, Smith, Morrison, and Erickson 1989).
With this in mind, this article will describe the CODEC distance education
project for minority high school students, and provide some evaluative
information on its implementation and effectiveness during its first year
of operation. From this analysis, suggestions for using distance education
in this context are offered.
   
   
Project Description
   
     In the spring of 1990, CSU Dominguez Hills was given a grant from
Pacific Bell to purchase and install equipment for a CODEC (code/decode)
television link with a high school in the Compton Unified School District.
Compton School District primarily serves minority students from low income
neighborhoods, who traditionally have low rates of college attendance. The
high school selected for the link is located approximately 15 miles from
the university and has an enrollment of nearly all minority students. CSU
Dominguez Hills agreed to support the costs of operating the link and
providing instructional services to the school. Compton School District
provided funding for equipment and personnel to support delivery at the
high school site.
     The major goal of the CODEC project was to provide a medium for
minority high school students to familiarize themselves with college and to
become better prepared for study at this level. This was to be achieved by
broadcasting lessons taught by college professors over interactive televi-
sion to the high school site. These lessons were designed to present
college level material in a way high school students would understand and
to motivate students for further advanced study. Minority students tradi-
tionally have trouble seeing themselves as succeeding in college, but the
opportunity to experience higher education might significantly alter this
conception. By actually learning from a professor, students could develop
increased confidence regarding their abilities to do college work. And by
studying advanced subjects they could also improve their academic prepara-
tion and chances for admission to college. This is particularly important
because so many urban high schools lack the resources to give their
students anything but a basic education.
     An additional goal of the project was to test the value of electroni-
cally delivered educational services via CODEC and to develop the potential
for CODEC links with other sites.
     CODEC technology was selected for this project because of its ability
to provide two-way communication between instructors and students. CODEC
utilizes high compression telephone lines for bi-directional transmission
of television video and audio signals. It was felt that the ability of
instructors and students to simultaneously see and speak to each other had
potential to appreciably improve the effectiveness of distance education
over more traditional instructional delivery systems, such as one-way
Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS).
     In the fall of 1990, broadcasts over CODEC to the high school began.
There were five to six hours of broadcasts a week of instruction in German,
advanced algebra, calculus, and Mexican-American Studies. In addition,
there were science demonstrations in physics and chemistry, and tutoring
programs for help with homework and test-taking skills. These broadcasts
were designed to augment regular class instruction at the high school, and
to provide students with enriched educational experiences.
     A single classroom at the high school served as the receiving site.
During the broadcasts, students were brought into the classroom and
supervised by either their regular teachers or other adults. Because the
classroom was also used for regular classes, CODEC equipment had to be set
up and put away prior to each broadcast. Equipment was housed in a portable
cabinet and consisted of a large television monitor so that students could
see the university instructor, a small camera and two microphones for
student communication with the instructor, and a video display table for
students to show their written work.
     Sixty-two students and four high school instructors from four differ-
ent classes participated in the project. The majority of the students were
female (62%), and the grade breakdown was 30% freshmen, 5% sophomores, 61%
juniors, and 5% seniors. Students took part in the project as part of their
regular class work. Typically, they were taught by their teacher three days
a week, and by CODEC instructors the other two days. Frequent coordination
and planning between the high school and university instructors was
required to integrate the distance and regular teaching. It is important to
note that the students did not directly earn a grade or credit for their
participation in CODEC. To overcome the problem that this might cause in
reducing motivation for distance learning, some of the high school instruc-
tors factored CODEC participation into their students' regular grades.
     CODEC classes were taught by four faculty members from the departments
of science, math, social science, and foreign languages of the university.
None of the faculty had previous experience teaching over television, but
all were enthusiastic about doing so. Their teaching primarily emphasized
theoretical and abstract knowledge of a subject. After consulting with the
high school instructors, it was decided that the students would benefit
most from teaching that presented college-level ideas and higher level
thinking. Students in the advanced algebra class, for example, were taught
the derivations of formulas and a little about the history of mathematics
rather than purely computational skills. Other instruction involved
subjects, such as German, which helped to broaden the students' academic
preparation for college.
   
   
Project Evaluation
   
     At the end of the spring semester, an evaluation was conducted to
determine the quality of the project's implementation and its effect on
students. Evaluative measures included questionnaires, interviews, observa-
tions, and record reviews.
   
   
Evaluation Outcomes
   
     Student attitudes. To measure attitudes toward CODEC technology and
instruction, students were asked to answer a questionnaire. Nearly all of
the students responded (93.5%). Responses for seven questions were given on
a five-point scale, with 5 indicating the most positive response and 1 the
most negative (e.g., 1=Definitely Not; 3=To Some Extent; 5=Definitely Yes).
Questions are listed below, with mean ratings for each.
   
   
   
                      Question                        Mean Rating
   
     1.  Did you like learning with CODEC?                3.7
     2.  Were the CODEC lessons interesting?              3.7
     3.  Were the CODEC lessons easy to understand?       3.6
     4.  Would you like to take more CODEC lessons?       3.6
     5.  Did the CODEC lessons make you feel more
         comfortable about the idea of going to
         college?                                         3.3
     6.  Would you like to receive high school or
         college credit for learning over CODEC?          4.8
     7.  How did the CODEC lessons compare to lessons
         in your regular classes at Dominguez High?       3.0
   
     The questionnaire also requested student responses to three open-ended
questions. The questions, response categories and frequencies are given
below.
   
                 Question and Response                 Frequency
   
     "What did you like best about CODEC lessons?"
        Instructor (e.g., "teacher was helpful")            9
        Subject (e.g., "chance to learn something new")    14
        College Experience (e.g., "learn what college       7
        students learn")
        Technology (e.g., "talking to someone far away")   21
     "What did you like least about CODEC lessons?"
        Instructor (e.g., "spoke too much")                11
        Personal (e.g., "didn't like talking to a TV or     8
        in front of others")
        Subject (e.g., "the subject was hard to learn")    10
        Technology (e.g., "sometimes CODEC didn't work")   14
     "What would you do to make CODEC lessons better?"
        Instructor (e.g., "keep explanations simple and
        short")                                             5
        Class structure (e.g., "professor could get more
        students to be active in the class")               14
        Subject (e.g., "offer more classes on different
        subjects")                                         14
        Technology (e.g., "make things work better")        8
   
     Discussion. In general, students had a favorable attitude toward
CODEC. They found the technology intriguing, and the lessons interesting
and understandable. The lessons were rated as comparable to their regular
high school classes. This is a positive finding since students often favor
face-to-face instruction over distance learning when the two approaches are
directly compared (Davis 1984). The strongest opinion concerned a desire to
receive credit for CODEC. Interviews with the high school instructors
confirmed this, as they felt that motivation to learn would be improved in
some students if they were given a grade and/or unit credit for their
efforts.
     Interestingly, students were made to feel only moderately more
comfortable about attending college as a result of distance learning. From
record reviews, nearly all students (93.4%) indicated they would attend
college, though only 8.2% had applied, and only 3.3% had been accepted.
Since most plan to go to college, they may already feel comfortable with
the idea. However, the low rate of applying to college among this group
suggests that they have trouble following through on their good intentions.
Exposure to college instruction over CODEC may improve their persistence,
however, and given that this is a major goal of the project, this will be
closely monitored in follow-up evaluations.
     Although impressed with the technology, students found technical
problems to be bothersome. Many cited instances in which broadcasts were
delayed or cancelled because no one at the high school knew how to set up
or run the equipment. Other problems included CODEC instructors lecturing
too much, or subject matter that was too difficult or theoretical. To
improve CODEC, students suggested more student participation during lessons
and a greater variety of classes.
     Student Achievement. Since CODEC instruction primarily augmented
regular class instruction, its direct effect on student achievement was not
measurable. However, the high school instructors reported that their
students learned much new material that motivated them in their regular
subject studies.
     Instructor Attitudes. The four high school and four university
instructors that took part in the project were interviewed to determine
their attitudes and experiences with CODEC. Each group was asked a set of
narrative questions. Questions and most frequent responses are given below.
   
   
High School Instructors
   
     "What were the benefits of CODEC for your students?"
   
     Numerous benefits were cited by the high school instructors. All
mentioned the opportunity their students had to learn college level
material and to interact with college professors ("Students got a real
taste for higher education and how it is to learn from a professor."). Some
instructors felt that their students developed more confidence about going
to college when they experienced successful learning over CODEC ("Students
get confident from doing college calculus and feel they can study this in
college."). Two instructors stated that the lessons challenged their
students to think more deeply and analytically.
   
     "What were the problems with CODEC?"
   
     Technical problems setting up equipment or trouble-shooting were most
often cited ("Equipment is moved around or not put away properly, which
causes technical problems that are difficult to solve sometimes.").
Another problem was coordinating the high school bell and CODEC broadcast
schedules ("The CODEC schedule and our bell schedule sometimes conflict,
and we end up missing part of a broadcast.") Also mentioned was the
reluctance of some students to interact with the distance instructors ("A
big problem was that some students felt shy or anxious talking to the
professors." "It took a lot of coaxing to get them to answer.").
   
     "What are your suggestions for improving CODEC?"
   
     Suggestions including increasing student motivation by giving them
grades or credit for CODEC participation; preparing students for CODEC by
familiarizing them with how it works and how to speak to the professor;
inservicing the high school instructors so they know something about how to
trouble-shoot equipment problems; and having a special room just for CODEC
so interruptions by other classes are eliminated.
   
   
CODEC Instructors
   
     "What were the positive aspects of teaching over CODEC?"
   
     All the instructors mentioned that they found teaching over CODEC a
rewarding and enjoyable experience ("High school students are enthusiastic
learners, and I like the opportunity to get them excited about the idea of
going to college."). Another positive aspect mentioned were changes in the
students' self-esteem ("Over the course of the semester, I could see
students get more confident about their learning and their own abilities."
"This is important if they are to be motivated to do college work.").
Seeing students develop new interests in science and math was another
positive outcome ("Some students really get excited about learning college
math; they're motivated to learn all they can about the subject.").
   
     "What problems did you experience teaching over CODEC?"
   
     All instructors mentioned the problem of poor response among some
students in their classes ("For many students the TV camera was imposing
and they didn't like talking over it."); ("Students are not graded for
their participation, and so some were reluctant to work."). Knowing how to
teach high school students was also troublesome for several instructors ("I
had to make some major changes in my teaching for the high school students,
like doing less lecturing and more questioning; you can't teach them like
college students."); ("High school students have some trouble understanding
theoretical or abstract concepts." "I found that I had to make things
somewhat more concrete for them, but this wasn't always easy."). Being able
to see only part of the room at the high school was a problem for one
instructor ("The camera could only catch part of the room; I didn't always
know who was there."). All instructors mentioned technical problems as
occasionally interfering with their teaching.
   
     "What are your suggestions for improving CODEC?"
   
     Instructors suggested training students on how to communicate over
television ("Students need to learn how to address the instructor by facing
the camera and speaking clearly; many of them don't do this right and you
can't understand what they're saying."). To increase motivation, all
instructors suggested students be given grades or credit for their partici-
pation ("I know that what we teach them is enrichment for their regular
class subjects, but they should be graded just like students are in
college." "This will help teach them the importance of being prepared for
class and attending to the lesson."). Better planning and coordination
between themselves and the high school instructors was suggested to improve
integration of CODEC and regular class subjects.
     Observations of CODEC classes. The author observed several CODEC
classes during the fall and spring semesters. At least one class in each of
four subjects (i.e., German, Mexican-American Studies, advanced algebra and
calculus) was observed to obtain information about the delivery of instruc-
tion and the general classroom atmosphere at the receiving site.    Across
classes, the quality of instructional delivery appeared high. The instruc-
tors all spoke clearly with a steady voice, maintained good eye contact
with the camera, and appeared comfortable teaching over television. This
was impressive given that none of the instructors had extensive experience
with the medium. Though their delivery skills were good, the instructors
tended to ignore the interactive characteristics of CODEC. Most used
lecture as an instructional method, with students responding only occa-
sionally. There was one instructor that increased student participation by
asking frequent questions and using group learning methods that promoted
high levels of learning interaction. Interestingly, this instructor was
also teaching a regular class at another high school (in person) and
reported feeling comfortable knowing how to teach this age group.
     Student participation also seemed to be somewhat affected by course
content and quality of on-site supervision. Participation was lower in
classes, such as calculus, where subject matter was predominately theoreti-
cal and abstract, and highest in a class like German where much oral
language practice was required. Also, classes were more responsive when the
high school instructors took an active part in supervising and helping
their students. This made it easier for the distance instructors to
concentrate on teaching rather than on monitoring classroom behavior.
Active classroom supervision was critical in larger classes, which often
had thirty or more students. Since there was only a single TV monitor in
the room, students in the back rows of these classes tended to be less
involved and in need of closer supervision.
   
   
Suggestions
   
     From this evaluation a number of suggestions regarding the use of
distance education with high school students are offered.
     1. Prior to its implementation, students and supervisors at the
receiving site should be given a brief introduction on how an interactive
television system works to make them feel more comfortable with this
technology. In addition, students should be shown how to communicate
properly over the system, and supervisors should be given some knowledge of
trouble-shooting procedures for correcting minor technical problems with
equipment.
     2. If possible, distance instructors should personally visit students
at the receiving site to establish rapport with them and to reduce their
anxieties about communicating over television. This is particularly
important with younger students who may feel anxious or shy about speaking
publicly.
     3. Distance instructors should be given training on how to effectively
utilize the capabilities of interactive television. This medium comes close
to emulating the communication characteristics of the regular classroom,
but is less effective if students are merely given lectures. Strategies for
getting students to talk back must be actively incorporated into lessons.
Much that has been learned about increasing student participation in
regular classrooms (e.g., cooperative learning techniques) can be of value
here (Slavin 1990b).
     4. Student motivation is critical to the success of learning. While
CODEC technology is novel and intriguing to students, it is not sufficient
in itself to maintain student interest long term. Some form of extrinsic
motivation, like a grade or credit for course work, seems necessary to
stimulate learning over time.
     5. College instructors need to modify their teaching for high school
students. Compared to adults, high school students generally need more
instructional support and basic skill development, more active and concrete
learning, and more frequent feedback (Snow 1986). Meeting these needs is
even more critical when distance education is involved because personal
access to the instructor is limited.
   
   
Conclusion
   
     Utilizing distance education within the context of a project to
educate young minority students about college is a unique endeavor. Over
the past year, we have learned much about what makes such a project work
and what needs to be improved. It is still too early, of course, to know
the precise effect of the project on the college aspirations of students,
but we do know that their education has been broadened and enriched from
exposure to distance education.
     Plans are under way to extend the project to several new districts and
high schools in fall, 1991. Like Compton, these districts serve low income,
minority students. The goal is to have these districts on a single system
so that they can share broadcasts and interact with each other. This will
greatly improve the efficiency of the system and hopefully its effect.
Another goal is to offer pre-college and college courses for credit in
addition to the classes already offered. Students will then be able to get
a head start on their college careers and save some tuition in the process.
     With CODEC, the potential of distance education to reach out to
nontraditional students is beginning to be realized. This medium holds
promise to bridge not only geographical distance, but the distance between
students themselves and their goals.
   
   
References
   
Davis, D. J. 1984. Evaluation and comparison of teleconference
     training with face-to-face training and the effects on
     attitude and learning. Dissertation Abstracts
     International, vol 46, No. AAC850579.
   
Ross, S., Smith, L., Morrison, G., and Erickson, A. 1989. An
     Apple a Day and at Night: A Distance Tutoring Program for
     At-Risk Students. In The Educational Technology Anthology
     Series, vol. 3, 111-116. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
     Technology Publications.
   
Slavin, R. E. 1990b. Cooperative learning: Theory, research, and
     practice. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
   
Snow, R. E. 1984. Individual differences and the design of
     educational programs. American Psychologist 42:137-144.
   
----------------- End of DEOSNEWS Vol. 2  No. 8 ------------------------
   

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