Friday, November 06, 2009
NRCRES Conference: Increasing Rural 8th Graders' Access to Algebra I: Is Online Education An Effective Alternative?
The final day of The National Research Center on Rural Education Support's Supporting Rural Schools and Communities Research Conference (see program here). The breakout session today that focused upon K-12 distance education is:8:00 - 9:45
Break-Out Session I
Distance Education and Technology
Chairs: Judith Meece and Matthew Irvin
Discussant: Miles Bryant (UNL)
Presenters:
- Wallace Hannum (UNC-CH) and Matthew Irvin (UNC-CH) - Enhancing Distance Education in Rural Schools
- Michael Barbour (Wayne State University) - Supporting K-12 Students Online: Local schools, Virtual Schools, and Teacher Education
- Peggy Clements (REL-NEI) - Increasing Rural 8th Graders' Access to Algebra I: Is Online Education an Effective Alternative?
- Steve Oliver (UGA) - Relevance of NSF Drivers of Systemic Reform for Instructional Technology Interventions
This entry is focused on the first group in this session:
Peggy Clements (REL-NEI) - Increasing Rural 8th Graders' Access to Algebra I: Is Online Education an Effective Alternative?
The session began with a rationale for her study... Studying Algebra I because it is a gatekeeping course for more advanced mathematics, and studying it in an online environment with eighth graders because online delivery is a common way to increase access to curricular opportunities. The sample focused on 70 schools in Maine and Vermont that did not previously offer Algebra I courses in their school. The students who were the focus of the study were "algebra ready" (AR) eighth graders (based on the decision of the schools), but they were also interested in any side affects for the three quarters of eighth grade "non-algebra ready" students who were left in the classroom environment.
The primary research questions were:
- What is the impact of offering Algebra I online to AR students on their end-of-eighth grade algebra achievement?
- What is the impact of offering Algebra I online to AR students on their subsequent high school course taking?
The secondary research questions:
- What is the impact of offering Algebra I online to AR students on the N-AR students mathematics achievement?
- What is the impact of offering Algebra I online to AR students on the n-AR students subsequent high school course taking?
- What is the impact of offering Algebra I online to AR students on the AR general mathematics achievement?
Unfortunately, while the research project has been completed the funding agency hasn't approved the report yet - so the presenter was not able to discuss the results.
As a side note, on two separate occasions the presenter decided to "correct" something she thought I had said in my presentations - the first time she clearly wasn't listening to what I said and the second time it was something she appears to have made up altogether.
Crossposted at Virtual High School Meanderings.
Labels: AERA, conferences, cyber school, education, high school, National Research Center on Rural Education Support, research, rural, rural education, small schools, virtual school
