Education & Distance Learning Enthusiasts- PLATO Joins with the League for Innovation in the Community College to Cosponsor an Exploratory Research Program on Internet-Based Distance Learning

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PLATO Joins with the League for Innovation in the Community College to Cosponsor an Exploratory Research Program on Internet-Based Distance Learning

Business Wire - May 20, 1999

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 1999--

TRO Learning (NASDAQ:TUTR), the developer and marketer of computer-based PLATO(R) products and services, announced today it will cosponsor an exploratory research program with the League for Innovation in the Community College on the successful integration of Internet-based instruction with local area networks and other college-based resources in developmental mathematics programs.

The project will involve nine League board member colleges and one Alliance for Community College Innovation (ACCI) member college and will kick-off with a two-day planning and training meeting in June in conjunction with the League's Innovations 1999 conference in New Orleans. A trial implementation will take place at each campus this summer and full implementation of the exploratory research programs will commence in the fall of 1999. Preliminary findings from the project will be presented at the League's 1999 Conference on Information Technology in late October.

Noting that community colleges enroll over 5.5 million students and that each year nearly 50 percent of all first-time students test as underprepared for the academic demands of college-level studies, John Super, vice president of marketing for TRO Learning, commented, "Each year, over $1 billion is spent to provide remedial services to incoming students. This project, which focuses on identifying how the Internet, distance learning techniques, and PLATO can combine to more effectively serve the developmental needs of students, is a significant step in TRO's ongoing commitment to expand its Internet offerings. Our partners in this project are national leaders in post-secondary education and we are excited to have the opportunity to work with them in this effort."

Cindy Miles, vice president and COO, League for Innovation, remarked, "The Internet is opening powerful new doors to education, but exactly how best to use online technologies to enhance the success of various student populations is still relatively undefined. The League is pleased to be a part of this project that is bringing the expertise of TRO Learning together with the talents of some of the best community college educators to develop new learning options for students in developmental mathematics."

The participating colleges include:

-- Central Florida Community College, Ocala, Florida -- Dallas County Community College District, Eastfield College,

Dallas, Texas -- Delta College, University Center, Michigan -- Kapi'olani Community College, Honolulu, Hawaii -- Kern Community College District, Bakersfield, California -- Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, Florida -- Moraine Valley Community college, Palos Hills, Illinois -- Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, Florida -- Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio

These colleges will explore a number of critical factors for the successful implementation of distance learning technologies in developmental studies programs. The research questions and the design of this exploratory study were developed by Dr. Wellesley (Rob) Foshay, Ph.D., vice president of instructional design and cognitive learning for TRO Learning, and are expected to offer insight into different implementation models and strategies. Areas of exploration include:

-- How can campus-based and distance education service delivery

models be combined? -- How can an individualized, open-entry/open-exit environment be

effectively achieved via distance education? -- How can learners' motivation be cultivated through the innovative

use of technology? -- How can a successful community of learners be established and

maintained online? -- What is the profile of the successful user of distance

developmental studies services?

According to Melissa Kalinowski, marketing manager for TRO Learning and project manager for this initiative, "This nationwide exploratory project will provide PLATO with an opportunity to partner with North America's leading community colleges and advance the research of Internet-based and LAN-based instruction in developmental education. The data we gather will allow us to outline the effective use of PLATO for developmental educators and students, and it will help us to guide the development of new features and enhancements for PLATO. This will further position PLATO as the premier instructional resource for developmental education."

TRO Learning is the developer and marketer of computer-based PLATO products and services. With fiscal 1998 PLATO revenues of over $39 million, TRO Learning, Inc. is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ-NMS. Offering more than 2,000 hours of comprehensive academic and applied skills courseware designed for adolescents and adults, PLATO Learning Systems are marketed to middle and high schools, colleges, job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, and corporations. The PLATO Learning System is delivered via networks, CD-ROM, the Internet, and private intranets.

TRO Learning is an international training and education company with headquarters located at 4660 West 77th Street, Edina, Minnesota 55435, (612) 832-1000 or (800) 869-2000. TRO's executive offices are located at Poplar Creek Office Plaza, 1721 Moon Lake Boulevard, Suite 555, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60194, (847) 781-7800. TRO Learning has domestic offices located throughout the United States and international offices in the United Kingdom and throughout Canada. TRO Learning has international distributors located in Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The company's Web site addresses on the Internet's World Wide Web are www.tro.comand www.plato.com.

(R) PLATO is a registered trademark of The Roach Organization, Inc.

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