THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 11, 1995 TAG: 9510100299
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
The Navy is using computer age technology to teach the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
A year ago, Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base was chosen for a pilot program to help sailors and Marines refresh their learning skills. The Roach Organization uses Plato software to help service members teach themselves what they think they don't know.
``The Navy felt the instructor-led classes of the past didn't meet the needs of individuals with basic skills deficiencies,'' said retired Army Maj. Trent Webb, manager of the base's academic skills learning center.
Until the center opened, sailors who wanted to prepare to retake the Navy's aptitude test, increase their fundamental skills, study for college entrance tests or just learn for self-improvement had to miss work all day, every day, for six weeks to attend classes.
And that's the way they learn everywhere in the Navy, except at Little Creek and in Jacksonville, Fla.
According to Webb, the two bases are the only ones participating in the pilot program of individualized computer learning. The program, set for one year, ends Oct. 31. After that,
Each student is counseled by Webb about his or her goals. Then a personal study and testing track is set up. Once participation is approved by the sailor's command, he can take up to 100 computer hours to complete his individualized study.
``Most finish their program in about 60 hours,'' said Webb. ``It's all free, and we provide a pleasant learning environment. They're under no time obligation; it's a very nonthreatening place.''
Webb and assistant manager Melinda Miller are around to counsel and motivate participants, solve computer glitches and provide administrative support.
The average student comes to the learning center, equipped with 12 computers, twice a week for 10 weeks. The individual may take self-paced courses in reading, writing and math, including algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
The student is awarded a certificate for each phase mastered, and a final ``diploma'' for the entire course of study.
Webb said the average student is 20 to 23 years old, and all ranks are included, although 98 percent are enlisted personnel. Open only to active-duty sailors and Marines, 83 people are currently enrolled in Little Creek's program. But participants come from several area naval installations.
Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Del Masto, 35, is serving on limited duty, working with his command's career counselor. The electronics technician says he ``needed to bone up on rusty English and math skills'' for his current job, and also so he can get back into college to finish the degree he started several years ago.
``I like the self-pacing,'' he said. ``It's definitely going quickly for me. The only problem I can see with it is that, sometimes, the computer is too slow.''
Del Masto goes to the academic learning skills center three times a week, from 9 to 11 a.m. His goal is to finish his individualized program before his next deployment, which will be when the month runs out.
Webb said the No. 1 reason service members want to brush up on their academic skills is to retake the vocational aptitude test they were given prior to enlisting in the Navy.
``It's important for their promotions and taking tests to cross-train,'' he said. ``The information they need is all up in their minds. They just haven't had a reason to pull it out of the storage file since high school.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
RICHARD L. DUNSTON/Staff
Catina Edmonds, 23, an electrician's mate 3rd class, studies
geometry at the academic skills learning center at Little Creek
Naval Amphibious Base.
by CNB