The effect of instructional software of worked examples designed in accordance with principles of multimedia modality and presentation forms on students' academic success and learning experience

Many design principles of multimedia theory is generated on basis of research studies for effective and efficient learning in recent years. Testing of the validity of these principles in different contexts and circumstances is needed. This study examined the modality and segmentation principles with the common component of worked examples on the subject of ratio and proportion.Based on general principles of multi-media theory and supported by worked examples, a courseware on the subject of ratio and proportion is produced for the 6 th grade level of primary school. Then segmentation and modality principles are used to differentiate four experimental versions of this courseware. Textual-visual and auditory-textual-visual presentation formats are designed in accordance with modality principle. A holistic and sequential presentation formats are generated in accordance with segmentation principle. In holistic version, each displayed unit of information includes all the stages of mathematical thinking skills in a problem solving example. Whereas in segmented version, each segmented display unit includes only a meaningful step of problem solving stages with regard to mathematical thinking skills. In segmented presentation format, each sub stage of mathematical thinking skills is presented successively that distinguishes the holistic version from the segmented version of courseware. The scope of the subject, the worked examples of problem solving and the number of examples are the same in every version. Mathematical thinking skills and worked examples are common constituents in four different versions of this courseware. Fully worked and semi-worked problem solving examples are presented in sequence. Then, the last unsolved examples of problems are given to learners to solve.Thus, we tested the effect of the principles of the modality and segmentation in four different versions: the first version of holistic-textual-visual presentation, the second version of sequential-textual-visual presentation, the third version holistic-auditory- textual-visual presentation, and the fourth version sequential-auditory- textual-visual presentation formats has been developed for this study.The overall objective of this study is to examine the effect of auditory/textual-visual and holistic/sequential forms of presentation on the variables of academic success and learning experience in the subject of ratio and proportion. The research is conducted on 6 th grade math course in second semester of 2010-2011 academic year at DSI Baraj Elementary School. 97 students were joined to the study in the four different branches (A-B-C-D). The groups of A, B, C, D is selected randomly to one of the experimental conditions of textual-holistic, textual- sequential, auditory-holistic, and auditory-sequential.An open-ended academic achievement test and evaluation of teaching process questionnaire is used as a means of data collection. There are four sub-variables obtained from open-ended academic achievement test: academic success, the number of errors in answers, perceived difficulty of problem, perceived self-confidence about solving the problem correctly. The data is collected about students? opinions by evaluation questionnaire of learning process. Consists of four sub-dimensions: perception about instructional design, flow experience, perceived difficulty level and self-confidence during studying the subject with courseware. In addition, the variables of academic success and the learning process evaluation is investigated in relation to each other.Prior to the research application, the digit span test is applied to define students? range of working memory capacity; also the open-ended pre-test is given to the students? to determine academic success. Achievement is calculated by subtracting the pre-test results from the post-test results. A liker style (5-scale) is used in learning process evaluation questionnaire. In addition, number of error of students in open ended test is counted.Quantitative data obtained in this study is analyzed with a SPSS 17 program. Descriptive analysis of the data for the arithmetic mean, standard deviation and standard error values are given. ANOVA for the comparative analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson Correlation and regression tests were used.According to the findings of the study, the most successful group in academic achievement test is the sequential-auditory group. Comparison indicates a statically significant difference between the sequential-auditory and sequential-textual, in favor of former group. According to the findings of learning process evaluation questionnaire, there is a statistically significant difference between holistic-textual and sequential-textual, in favor of former group. Furthermore, regression analysis results indicate that variables of instructional design and confidence significantly predict flow perception. However, the level of difficulty is not a significant predictor of flow.Based on this study results, designing courseware in math subject: a) Holistic presentation is better when it is supported with an auditory form b) Sequential presentation should be supported by auditory presentation beside textual-visual c) If no auditory form will be used then prefer holistic presentation form d) If no auditory form will be used then avoiding sequential form is advisable.