As computer is widely used by school and business, a study approach was taken by Dr. Tony T. Lei, President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), on the process of revolution and the essential change that computerization would be possible to education. He pointed out that "there is no doubt for us to agree that pitfalls must be considered in implementing and sustaining changes in a public school." This study was trying to discuss several major pitfalls that had prevented planned changes in education from being successful. To cope with those obstacles, Agoura High had a successful experience in implementing computer education. Research result revealed that the computer group surpassed the non-computer group in post-test mathematics scores after they were adjusted for initial differences in pretest mathematics scores and for actual days of attendance. Microcomputers had been considered to be an effective tool for learning by Agoura High.
The following pitfalls were the reasons why funds were ceased for its ineffectiveness of the implementation of computer education though superficial success was reported by East Vermont Elementary School: "(1) Ineffective Communication Teachers who were responsible for the implementing of the change were not informed adequately and fully. Institutional members were mostly lacking clarity about the change that they were being requested to implement. More than half of the teachers influenced by the innovation did not have a clear image of the role play and work performance expected of them.
"(2) Lack of Developed Constituencies Before the implementing of the computer class, few effort was devoted to establish constituencies, neither it was there during the implementing. The high frequency of failure in efforts at change could in part be attributed to the failure to see teacher as a constituency. East Vermont was among the failure.
"(3) Ignorance of the Organizational Dynamics A review of the Vermont's story could let us know that one of the obstacle was that organizational conditions existing prior to and during the innovation's introduction were incompatible with the innovation. Information was not provided by management in advance concerning the change, the need for it, and the way in which it would influence the people involved.
"(4) Lack of Effective Evaluation There was no formative evaluation before the implementation of the computer class program. Summative evaluation was also weak without the using of any proper achievement test." *1
A null hypothesis for the study on computer class of Agoura High predicted that there would be no statistically significant difference in post-test mathematics scores between the computer science group and non-computer science group after post-test scores were adjusted for initial differences in pre-test mathematics scores and for actual days of attendance. An F-ratio of 8.44 was obtained.*2 The significance level of the F-ratio was .005, well beyond the alpha level of .05. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected after adjusting for mathematics pre-test scores. The research hypothesis that the enrolled group would surpass the non-enrolled group on post-test mathematics scores was supported by the data. Also, the pre-test was a significant coveriate.
In that research, Dr. Lei recommended that: "(1) The computer science group in Agoura High surpassed the non-computer science group in post-test mathematics scores after post-test scores were adjusted for initial differences in pre-test mathematics scores and for actual days of attendance. (2) Based on this study, the Las Virgenes Unified School District has increased its information system regarding volunteer students in computer classes and their particular mathematics scores. (3) It may wish to examine its secondary curricula to expand its elective computer classes with an eye to possibly improving those students' mathematics scores. (4) Agoura High may utilize this study's findings to enhance its already effective communication system with parents, teachers, students, counselors, and administrators. (5) It is recommended that further study be undertaken on the same subject with different populations and samples, such as in secondary schools in low-socioeconomic areas." *2
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*1. Tony T. Lei, A Study of the Implementation of Computer Education in Public Schools, Proceedings of Thirteenth International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), Co-chairs: Lawrence Pierce and John Foster, (Grand Prairie, Texas: ICTE, 1996), 314-315.
*2. Ibid., 315.
*3. Ibid., 316.