FSU PLATO project: basic skills in math for Florida High Schools

Abstract

During the 1978-79 school year, Florida State University (FSU), in cooperation with the Control Data Corporation (CDC) and three Florida high schools, conducted a field test to deliver the mathematics portion of CDC's Basic Skills Learning System. This instructional system is designed to enable individuals with a wide range of abilities to achieve an eighth-grade level of competence in reading, math, and language skills. PLATO, a multimedia computer-based educational delivery system, is the focal point of the Basic Skills curriculum.The major purposes of the field test were to 1) determine the operational feasibility of remote PLATO sites in high schools, 2) field test the mathematics courseware, 3) provide data showing PLATO's effectiveness in remedial mathematics instruction, and 4) provide an economic analysis for using PLATO in public schools.The three test sites represented a cross-section of Florida high school students in need of remedial mathematics. The participating schools were Paxon Senior High School (Jacksonville), Sarasota Senior High School (Sarasota), and Glades Central High School (Belle Glade), representing an urban, a suburban, and a rural population. Each site was equipped with eight PLATO terminals in one classroom, which were connected to a central computer at Florida State University via a single telephone line.