Abstract & Overview
The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of an orientation program for a survey clothing and textiles course using a systems approach to instructional television. The orientation program was studied in relation to student attitudes and increased knowledge. Two instruments were used in this research: an attitude scale to measure students' attitudes toward the various components used in the ITV system and a general knowledge questionnaire to measure students increased knowledge of course content. Data were collected from forty-three respondents before and after the cultural and behavioral science aspects of the course were completed. Chi square test for independence, analysis of variance, measures of central tendency, frequency counts, and an item analysis were used in determining results. The null hypotheses were not rejected: there were no differences between the groups in increased knowledge and in student attitudes except for one item on the attitude scale. The students in the experimental group gained slightly more knowledge and had a more positive attitude toward each component within the ITV system than the students in the control group. Those students without previous ITV experience felt the orientation program helped them more than those students with previous ITV experience. Students with low Quality Credit Averages gained more knowledge than students with high Quality Credit Averages.