| Summary, etc. |
ABSTRACT MISMIS, PATRICIA L., SAGUID, ANALIZA A. 2021. Evaluation of the Sirmata: The Official College Students' Publication of the Mariano Marcos State University. Undergraduate Thesis, College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development, Mariano Marcos State University, City of Batac 2906 Ilocos Norte 110 pages. Adviser: Dr. Florecita Q. Cortero Generally, the study evaluated the overall readability of the SIRMATA. Specifically, it sought to identify sections of the publication that students read the most; determine the students' preferred frequency of the delivery of SIRMATA issues; determine the perceptions on the timeliness, acceptability, attractiveness of its design and layout/arrangement, and the comprehensibility of its content; determine the communication experts/key informants' perceptions on the attractiveness of the elements of the publication and the comprehensibility of its content; and solicit the respondents' suggestions in improving the content and design of the publication. Data were gathered from 60 CAFSD students who were taken through purposive sampling. The students were enrolled in the second semester of academic year 2019-2020; and the communication specialists/key informants came from information and research and development agencies in Laoag City and the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija. A questionnaire, which was an online survey instrument using Google forms, were sent or shared to the student-respondents via their google accounts, together with a separate attachment of the electronic copy of the SIRMATA under evaluation. On the other hand, a self-administered questionnaire in hard copy, and a copy of the SIRMATA for evaluation by the communication expert-respondents, were used to gather data and information. The news stories section of the SIRMATA was read the most by the students. Hence, it is strongly recommended that the publication should sustain and even include more news articles especially regarding issues that concern the students such as admission and enrolment schedules and procedures, class requirements and performances, examination matters, student accomplishments, activities and events in their respective colleges or in the University itself, dormitory/boarding house matters, and other University services which they need to know or be updated with every time. It is likewise strongly recommended that the SIRMATA should always be timely in the release of its issues, like once or twice every semester in order to be more significant and responsive to the academic and even personal lives of the college students. The students were uncertain on the acceptability of the contents of the SIRMATA. This points out to the fact that they are in doubt if the stories published are truly intended for them as students. Hence, it is strongly advised that either the present or future editorial board, staffers, and correspondents of the SIRMATA, should ensure that they write/include stories that are relevant, responsive, significant, and acceptable to the students, and therefore could contribute to their general welfare as tertiary education recipients. Both the students and communication experts disagreed with the negative statements regarding the comprehensibility of the contents of the SIRMATA. This indicates that the words, sentences and paragraphs, including the pictures/illustrations and other graphic visuals in the SIRMATA are clear and understandable enough for the college students. It is therefore strongly recommended that the publication should always utilize familiar, simple, clear, not confusing words, sentences, paragraphs, and pictures/graphics in order to render the stories comprehensible at all times for every reader. Inasmuch as the students were uncertain of the elements (colors, font styles, font sizes, shapes, picture/graphies, layout/design, etc.) used in the publication were appropriate, and thus attractive enough, then it is strongly recommended that the SIRMATA editorial board and staffers be very careful in choosing the right elements to include in order to catch the attention of the student-readers, and sustain readership, and Since both the students and the communication experts gave several suggestions to further improve the publication, then it is strongly recommended that the editorial board, staffers, and correspondents get the most relevant and significant suggestions and duly incorporate them in the next issues of the SIRMATA. In general, the overall readability of the SIRMATA could be increased if the suggestions for improvement of the publication, be duly incorporated. This is to truly enhance the publication and make it a testimony of the voices of the students, thereby serving as a platform for freedom of the press or campus journalism in the tertiary education. |
