Effects of instruction administred through written and visual symbol systems on the achievement of formal and distance education students

ABSTRACT EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION ADMINISTERED THROUGH WRITTEN AND VISUAL SYMBOL SYSTEMS ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF FORMAL AND DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDENTS Mfijgan Bozkaya Division of Communication Sciences Anadolu University Institute of Social Sciences, May 1999 Advisor: Associate Professor Ali Şimşek This study examined the effects of different symbol systems achievement, confidence, attitudes, time-on-task and retention on the formal and distance education students. The sample of the study consisted of 161 undergraduate students from formal and distance education settings. Subjects were divided into three groups and asked to study the materials during a week. First group studied the materials that included only written symbol systems, second group visual symbol systems, and the third group both written and visual symbol systems. After studying the materials, the subjects completed an achievement test and a Likert type attitude scale. Two weeks later, an identical achievement test was administered again to determine the retention of learning. Results indicated that different forms of symbol systems had differents effects on students' achievement, confidence, and retention of learning. Attitudes of subjects were positive toward the symbol systems that they studied. Especially, distance education students were positive toward both to written and visual symbol systems while formal education students were positive only to written symbol systems. Ill