The Effect of Two Instructional Treatments on College Students’ Topographic Map Skills Achievement

Abstract

University of Georgia geography students were used as experimental and control subjects in an attempt to assess the respective values of two treatments in improving students' topographic map reading skills. An analysis of covariance procedure indicated that although the first treatment (instruction), raised students' topographic map reading skills, the second treatment (practice) raised scores to a much higher level. This second treatment involved approximately 3½ additional class hours on problems using maps. If a high level of proficiency in topographic map reading skills is required for future professional or academic work, similar practical problems could be incorporated into ordinary classroom instruction.