How to Use Images for Instruction
What are images?
Graphics
Visuals Pie Charts
IMAGES
Video
Photographs graphs
Illustrations ANIMATIONS
Are you creating online content?
Do you want to convey instructional
messages with text and graphics?
Are you using graphics to liven up your
content?
Is it easy to utilize graphics?
Why should you use graphics?
“People learn better from graphics and
words than from words alone.”
“You can help people learn better if you
include properly designed graphics in
instructional presentations.”
-Richard E. Mayer
Why should you use graphics?
From images.MD
What message are you providing?
“Often graphics in instructional materials
are afterthoughts used to add visual
interest to the page or screen.”
-Ruth Colvin Clark & Chopeta Lyons
What message are you providing?
All ICU personnel should be
familiar with this device and
practice with it prior to a difficult
airway situation. Knowledge of
situations for which the Combitube
should be considered, and those in
which it is contraindicated, is
imperative.
Could a graphic distract students?
Harp & Mayer found that visuals and text
that were topically related to the lesson but
extraneous to the lesson goal depressed
learning.
Could a graphic distract students?
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, an
important component of CPR, is
performed by maintaining the head
tilt/chin lift and making an airtight seal
against the victim's mouth, shown in
Figure 4. Alternatively, mouth-to-nose
and mouth-to-stoma resuscitation can be
performed where appropriate. This form
Figure 4 Head tilt chin lift. of ventilation can be performed without
chest compressions when a palpable
carotid pulse is felt without evidence of
respiration. (Adapted from American
Heart Association [ref]; with permission.)
Figure 5 Control of Respiration
There are two criteria you should use to
help you choose instructional graphics
1. Define the communication function of
your graphic
2. Define the psychological function
(instructional event) of your graphic
What are we communicating?
Function A Graphic Used to Examples
Decorative Add aesthetic appeal or humor • Book cover art
• Visual of a nurse in a
lesson on immunization
Representational Depict an object in a realistic • Photograph of an IV
fashion pump
• Screen capture of
software
Mnemonic Provide retrieval cues for factual • Bronchi: “Inhale a bite,
information goes down the right”
Organizational Show qualitative relationships • A two-dimensional
among content course map
• A concept map
What are we communicating?
Function A Graphic Used to Examples
Relational Show quantitative relationships • A line graph
among two or more variables • A pie chart
Transformational Show changes in objects over • An animation of the
time and space cardiac cycle
• A video showing how to
operate equipment
Interpretive Illustrate a theory, principle, or • Schematic diagram of
cause-and-effect relationships equipment
• An animation of
molecular movement
What communication function does this
image depict?
A. Decorative
B. Representational
C. Mnemonic
D. Organizational
E. Relational
F. Transformational
G. Interpretive
by Herbert Spencer
What communication function does this
image depict?
A. Decorative
B. Representational
C. Mnemonic
D. Organizational
E. Relational
F. Transformational
G. Interpretive
by Herbert Spencer
What communication function does this
image depict?
A. Decorative
B. Representational
C. Mnemonic
D. Organizational
E. Relational
F. Transformational
G. Interpretive
What communication function does this
image depict?
A. Decorative
B. Representational
C. Mnemonic
D. Organizational
E. Relational
F. Transformational
G. Interpretive
What psychological function does our
image support?
Instructional Definition Examples
Event
Support Attention Graphics and graphic design that • An arrow to point out the
draw attention to important relevant part of a
elements in an instructional pathology slide
display and that minimize divided • Placement of graphic
attention close to text that
describes it
Activate or Build Graphics that engage existing • Visual analogy between
Prior Knowledge mental models or provide high- new content and familiar
level content overview to support knowledge
acquisition of new information • Graphic overview of new
content
What psychological function does our
image support?
Instructional Definition Examples
Event
Minimize Graphics and graphic design that • Line art versus
Cognitive Load minimize extraneous mental work photograph
imposed on working memory during • Relevant graphic versus
learning decorative graphic
Build Mental Graphics that help learners • A schematic diagram to
Models construct new memories in long- illustrate how equipment
term memory that support deeper works
understanding of content • A visual simulation of
how genes are
transmitted from parents
to offspring
What psychological function does our
image support?
Instructional Definition Examples
Event
Support Transfer Graphics that incorporate key • Use of software screen
of Learning features of the work environment; simulation that looks and
graphics that promote deeper acts like actual software
understanding • Use of a visual
simulation to build cause-
and-effect mental models
Support Graphics that make material • A graphic that makes the
Motivation interesting and at the same time relevance of the skills to
do not depress learning the job obvious
• An organizing visual that
clarifies the structure of
the material
What instructional event does this image
support?
A. Support Attention
B. Activate or Build
Knowledge
C. Minimize Cognitive
Load
D. Build Mental
Models
E. Support Transfer of
Learning
F. Support Motivation
What instructional event does this image
support?
A. Support Attention
B. Activate or Build
Knowledge
C. Minimize Cognitive
Load
D. Build Mental
Models
E. Support Transfer of
Learning
F. Support Motivation
What instructional event do we support by using the
top image in place of the bottom image?
A. Support Attention
B. Activate or Build
Knowledge
C. Minimize Cognitive
Load
D. Build Mental
Models
E. Support Transfer of
Learning
F. Support Motivation
What instructional event do we support by using the
top image in place of the bottom image?
A. Support Attention
B. Activate or Build
Knowledge
C. Minimize Cognitive
Load
D. Build Mental
Models
E. Support Transfer of
Learning
F. Support Motivation
Referencing images
Follow text books as a guide
Provide references to the images from
your text (i.e. Figure 1.2)
In the space adjacent to your image
provide a title or description
Editing images
Microsoft Office 2003
Comes with a copy of Picture Manager
Programs>Microsoft Office>Microsoft
Office Tools>Microsoft Office Picture
Manager
Picture Manager Tutorials
Atomic Learning
1. Log into my.kumc.edu
2. Click on the Training tab
3. Click on the Atomic Learning link
4. Click on the Our Tutorials button
5. In the list click on O (for Office)
6. Click on Office 2003 – What’s New?
7. View the tutorials by clicking on
B. Picture Manager
Picture Manager Tutorials
Tutorials
Using the picture shortcut pane 1:09
Cropping a picture 1:29
Resizing a picture 1:23
Uploading images to ANGEL
An animated tutorial may be found in
ANGEL help.
The direct URL is:
https://elearning.kumc.edu/Angel/Help/Facu
lty/captivate_tutorials/upload_images_html.
htm
Graphics for Learning
Ruth Colvin Clark and
Chopeta Lyons
How to Use Images for Instruction
Jill Ducey, M.Ed.
Educational Technologist
Teaching & Learning Technologies
G010 Wahl Hall West (913) 588-7348
jducey@kumc.edu