Visual Elements in Digital Teaching Materials

Abstract

The visual elements used also play an important role in the effectiveness of the learning process, which is designed for independent learning and requires a high degree of self-regulation. One of the foundations of the importance of learner engagement is the use of appropriate visual elements. If the learner not only reads the information, but also provides an explanation of the information by means of a figure, picture or series of pictures, then comprehension and memory are supported by the use of the visual channel in addition to the verbal channel, which demonstrably increases the learning effectiveness. In my research, I investigated the results of two learning activities based on the rules of digital content development, using two different learning materials in terms of the images and pictures presented: learning material featuring real-world images resulted in better learning outcomes than material with only simple drawings. Learning material, which began with simple visuals and later introduced real-world images, proved more effective than using real-world visuals from the start. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the research and the resulting recommendations for instructional design.