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Symbol System Theory as Proposed by Gavriel Salomon

Overview on Symbol System Theory
This theory is aimed at explaining the effect that media has on learning. With the introduction of various media related educational tools, it came to light that the constant usage of these media related tools can somehow improve cognition and in turn learning. Driscoll (2014) alluded to the fact that the learning process is cognitive. Media introduction into this cognitive process could possibly have an impact on the way information is obtained, stored and retrieved by learners. Salomon (1981) was of the view that various media can relay important content to viewers in the form of symbols (verbal and imagery) which they can then interpret and relate in terms of their own learning style. The symbol system theory takes into consideration codes such as images, verbal representations and graphs which is then used as tools to give information to learners so that they are able to acquire knowledge Salomon (1985).

Developer of Symbol System Theory
The Symbol System Theory was developed by Gavriel_Salomon. Professor Salomon gained his B.A and his M.A from the Hebrew University of Jerusalum and later his Ph.D in Education Psychology and Communication from Stanford University.



He taught at numerous educational intuitions in the US, such as University of Michigan, Harvard, Stanford and USC. He also taught at the Hebrew University and Tel-Aviv University in Israel. Professor Salomon has written numerous books to include Interaction of Media, Cognition and Learning (1979/1994), Technology and Education in the Information Age (1993), Communication and Education (1981) and Communication (1981). He also edited two books, one of which is Distributed Cognitions (1993) and the other book being Peace education (2002): The concept, the principles and the research in 2002. In addition to writing books and editing them, he has also published numerous articles in well known journals throughout the USA, Europe Israel and even in Latin America all around the themes of technology, learning and cognition. Professor Salomon was the recipient of numerous accolades because of his work in education and theory development. He was elected to be a fellow of the International Academy of Education in 2006. In 2001 he received lifelong achievement awards in education in the form of the Sylvia Scribner AERA Award as well as the Israel National Award. In addition to those awards, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1999 bestowed upon him an Honorary Decorate. Professor Salomon’s other accomplishments included a fellowship at the Stanford Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences from 1998 to 1999, editor of Educational Psychologist from the year 1991 to 1995, president of the Educational and Instructional Division of the International Association of Applied Psychology for four years which started in 1990 and ended in 1994 and Fellowship with the American Psychological Association in 1983. It was in the late 1960’s that Professor Salomon developed the theory of Symbol System after conducting research in the area of the impact on media on cognitive learning.

What is The Symbol System Theory?
Multimedia learning fosters a deeper learning by integrating and combining pictures or images with words. Hott (2010) postulates “if multimedia messages are designed according to how people learn they can aide human learning”. This view was derived from the ideals of Professor Salomon when he developed the System Symbol theory. This theory was developed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, where it was revealed that the usage of media in the teaching process can have a positive impact on the learning of the participants.



Educators continue to provide for the educational needs of students by seeking various presentation styles to meet the vast educational needs and diversities of student. Many times the usage of a wide range of multimedia would be used to introduce and even facilitate the lesson. Numerous research including that of Snow (1997) alluded to the point that the usage of media in the teaching learning process stimulates learning, since it provides imagery as well as verbal cues that when placed together can easily be coded and retained in memory for later use. Salomon (1998) also noted that the human psyche, in particular that of technology and cognition, goes hand in hand in improving learning. He also mentioned the fact that even according to Skinner’s Teaching_machine for instruction, technology has been used as a means of concreting learning through the use of imagery and computer assisted instruction. The use of media in the Symbol System Theory is also closely linked to Gardner’s Theory_of_multiple_intelligences. Solomon (1993) pointed out in his research that the manner in which a learner is able to interpret the symbols from the usage of media into reliable information for the learning process all depends on the type of learner the individual is. This is the premise on which the Theory_of_multiple_intelligences hinges, which shows that the process of learning information and skills occurs in different ways for the individual learner. Another area of learning that is also linked to the symbol system theory is that of Schema. Salomon (1981) postulated that schema also plays a very pivotal role in determining how information is received, stored and retrieved. Eggen and Kauchak (2004) note “schemas are individually constructed, dynamic change in response to new information depending on the situation in which they are learned” p. (243). Through the use of media, instructors can attract the attention of learners. Then through the manner in which they are able to process information the usage of demonstrations, charts, pictures and even computer aided simulations and videos, learners will be able to process information received into meaningful knowledge. It must be mentioned that Solomon (1978) cautioned that media use only is not the symbol system; by just incorporating any form of media into a lesson is not making use of the symbol system theory. The selected media must work in unison with the manner in which the learner processes information for it to have a true effective on the learner. As previously mentioned the level or type of information extracted from the media depends on the individual’s learning style. The usage of system symbol theory facilitates learning three ways as pointed out by Salomon (1978). These three ways include the following: Also Newell (1990) also points out what he terms as essential ingredients of symbol system as depicted in the diagram below:
 * 1) By activating already existing mental skills
 * 2) Through providing practice in the use of the skills
 * 3) By speeding up knowledge acquisition making

In addition, according to the research conducted by Salomon, media symbol aids in the accessing of information several ways. Ouyang and Stanley (2014) highlighted some of these as: In other words symbol systems work to determine how people obtain knowledge, access the information and determine how much information they are able to retrieve (Ouyang and Stanley, 2014). Ouyang and Stanley (2014) goes on to say “media can effectively optimize instruction and learning only when the media designing and information coding can meet people’s learning needs and can be fit into instructional contents and the learners’ educational abilities” (p.165).
 * 1) Emphasizing different instructional contexts
 * 2) Storing information efficiently for later retrieval
 * 3) Different media will help different types of learners
 * 4) Symbol system can meet different needs of information processing
 * 5) Can determine how individuals are able to process and store information

Importance Symbol System Theory
Just as with all other instructional theories, the symbol system theory has its importance and value in the teaching and learning process. When educators seek to find innovative ways to reach the learning needs of all the students, it is important to keep in mind that all children do not learn the same as highlighted by Howard_Gardner and his multiple intelligence theory. Symbol Systems is one of those theories that does not simply use a media just for the sake of having technology included in the instructional plan. It however pushes the instructor to incorporate media that would relate to, and provide for the learning needs of the students, so that they are able to find meaning in the information presented.

Application of Symbol System Theory
Salomon highlighted a few examples of how symbol systems can be applied to the instructional process for it to have meaning and facilitate learning. As previously mentioned, for the theory to work the medium or media used must be able to meeting the learning needs of the students. Salomon (1977) highlights that if the learning needs of the student are ignored the messages received would not be decoded by the learner.

Example one
A task is given that calls for analytic comparison of the information and the media used causes the coded message to activate imagery of the student. This would cause debilitated learning as noted by Salomon (1977). The instructor should have found a medium or media that would allow for or help in developing analytic skills.

Example two
A task is given that requires the learner show graphical presentations in math. The learner cannot use only verbal cues as it would cause the information to be distorted. The instructor can utilize computer aided model to assist with the simulation of real life pictorial and inserted few verbal cues to aid in the decoding of the information. By using a media that can incorporate a positive learning style and a not so positive one will allow that particular learner along with the others in the class to grasp and decode the information being presented for storage and later retrieval.

Example three
Learning what happens during the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in humans. The student does not respond to verbal explanations, therefore to bring out meaningful learning where the student can form their own mental image of the process a video from for example you tube can be used to show a pictorial format explaining what happens. The learner would be able to visualize what happens which they can then decode and translate.

Summary of Examples
These examples highlight the viewpoints of Solomon (1977) when he states, "Learning can be facilitated to the extent that the activated skills are relevant to the demands of the learning task. For effective instructional communication, a match needs to be established between the cognitive demands of a learning task, the skills that are required by the codes of the message, and the learner's level of mastery of these skills” (p. 11).

Conclusion
The educational psychologist Gavriel Salomon proposed the theory of symbol system which is aimed at identifying the impact or influence on learning that use of media possesses. It was the belief of Solomon that the use of different types of media would have different impact on learners because they possess different learning abilities. Therefore the instructor must use media that would have the best educational result or that would cater for the different learning types. That is one of the main reasons that his theory was so closely linked to Howard Gardner’s ideas of multiple intelligences. Ouyang and Stanley (2014) made the point that symbol system theory was extremely instrumental in laying the foundation and groundwork for the development and application of multimedia aimed at improving the learning abilities of individuals.