ERIC Number: ED207495
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Apr
Pages: 17
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Visual Testing: An Experimental Assessment of the Encoding Specificity Hypothesis.
DeMelo, Hermes T.; And Others
This study of 96 high school biology students investigates the effectiveness of visual instruction composed of simple line drawings and printed words as compared to printed-words-only instruction, visual tests, and the interaction between visual or non-visual mode of instruction and mode of testing. The subjects were randomly assigned to be given either the visual or non-visual version of an instructional unit designed to teach the anatomy and physiology of the human heart. Half of each group was given a non-visual test and half received a visual version of the same test 24 hours after receiving the instruction. The findings indicate that the visual version of the instructional unit affected the performance of the students significantly in the drawing test and in each subscale of identification, terminology, and comprehension, as well as in the composite score of both visual and non-visual versions of the achievement tests. The results suggest that teachers should use visuals as a mediator of instruction, e.g., simple line drawings to enhance the learning of specific instructional objectives, such as identification, terminology, comprehension, and drawings, and visual tests to measure achievement which is presented by visual instruction. Examples from the visual and non-visual instructional materials and tests, a table of data, and bibliography of 23 items are provided. (Author/CHC)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A