Chair: DEMPSEY, JOHN V.
DAI-A 60/03, p. 711, Sep 1999

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are content or compositional elements in photographs which make the photographs more effective and/or efficient for learning procedures. From the literature review, essential elements (those promoting learning) and nonessential elements (those that hinder or are neutral for learning) were identified. Instructional materials to teach health care students intramuscular injection techniques were prepared in four versions: text only, text with essential photographs, text with nonessential photographs, and essential photographs only. Seventy-nine health care students from a southeastern community college and southeastern university were the subjects. For the first dependent variable, score (amount or correct procedural steps), the text with essential photographs version was statistically better that the other three versions. For the second dependent variable, instructional efficiency (amount of study time), there was no statistical difference found among versions. The study identified photograph elements that appear to make the learning of procedures easier.