Graphics for Learning: Proven Guidelines for Planning, Designing, and Evaluating Visuals in Training Materials

by Ruth Colvin Clark, Chopeta Lyons

Graphics for Learning teaches you how to design effective graphics for print or online and computer-generated materials—multimedia, texts, working aids, and slides—that will maximize learning, understanding, and reasoning. Based on solid research on how people learn, this crucial resource contains best practices and shows you how to go beyond the visible features of graphics to plan visuals that are based on their communication and psychological functions. Written by instructional design experts Ruth Colvin Clark and Chopeta Lyons, Graphics for Learning includes a graphic design model that guides you through the visual planning process—from needs assessment through production. No matter how much or little expertise you have working with graphics, this book will help you boost your return on investment by giving you the information you need to design and implement the most effective visuals. Graphics for Learning shows how

Genres: Design, Education

544 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2004

About the author

A recognized specialist in instructional design and technical training, Dr. Clark holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology from the University of Southern California. Prior to founding CLARK Training & Consulting, Dr. Clark served as training manager for Southern California Edison. She is past president of the International Society for Performance Improvement and author of five books and numerous articles. Dr. Clark is the 2006 recipient of the Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from ISPI.

(Bio taken from the Clark Training website)

Reviews

[Alanna King · Rating 5 out of 5]

So instructive. I'm going to hold this one in my library forever!

[Kevin Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about how to effectively incorporate visuals into your teaching, this book is a good place to start. The authors are well aware of current psychology research, so you don't need to worry about following bad advice here. They start by explaining why visuals are powerful and how they support the learning process.
Then the look into how to plan graphics to improve learning (this is important because graphics can actually harm/reduce learning). After working through the basic how-tos, they dig into how to visualize procedures, concepts, facts, processes, and principles. This who section is particular practical.
Ironically, the graphics used throughout the book were not the best, even if they were clear. And I found the fictional walkthroughs to be too simplistic to be particularly helpful. But these are my only two grievances in the whole book.
If you are looking to learn more about incorporating visuals into your teaching, this is a good place to start.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for understanding how visuals can be designed in ways that lead to learning.