Chapter 2 Codes of Instructional Pictures

Pictures and text in instructions for medical devices: Effects on recall and actual performance

“…'Depicting codes' simulate characteristics as they are perceived in the real world [15], for instance, photographs depicting the text-subject. Such pictures may serve a representational or a decorative function: text content is merely repeated or the text is made more esthetical to increase the readers' interest, respectively [16].…”

“…'Directing codes', on the other hand, deviate from real world appearance and typically aim to convey a visual argument. Arrows and exaggerations of specific elements, for example, can prompt the reader's attention to relevant picture details ('visual cueing' [17]) and can direct such cognitive processes as comparing, generating inferences, and imagining motion [15]. When inferring movement in procedural pictorial instructions, people have been found not to make inferences unless such movement is expressed explicitly with text or arrows in pictures [18].…”

Interactive and dynamic visualizations in teaching and learning of anatomy: A cognitive load perspective

“…Previous research showed that concreteness (e.g., existing in reality, perceptible by senses) and vividness (e.g., clarity, distinctness, strength, colorfulness) are powerful additives for images that have positive effects on learning (West et al, 1991). Learning with graphics is seen as a learner problem-solving activity in order to reconstruct the designer decisions and intentions by adequate interpretation of the visual codes (Weidenmann, 1994). Graphic codes are classified into two classes, directing codes and depicting codes.…”

“…Graphic codes are classified into two classes, directing codes and depicting codes. Weidenmann (1994) defined directing codes as codes used by the graphic designer to direct the picture processing of complex visual arguments in order for the learner to perceive and process them sufficiently. The depicting codes were defined as devices to construct surface structure, which is processed in analogy to real-world perception.…”

Violence Prevention

“…For example, we increased the program's visual appeal by adding benevolent graphical "mentors" (Jones, Valdez, Nowakowski, & Rasmussen, 1995) and visual metaphors (Fenk, 1994;Mayer, 1994;Gyselinck & Tardieu, 1994;McDaniel & Waddill, 1994) to aid in the cognitive restructuring. We also incorporated the script text into the display graphics to enhance learning and/or allow for hearing impaired participants (Weidenmann, 1994). Finally, we used three-dimensional figures and added both auditory and visual reinforcers for rational responses prior to exiting a module.…”