Textbook companies are increasingly including larger numbers of animations as complementary resources for students and teachers. Are all animations useful as teaching tools? The answer is no. Animations can be useful for communicating dynamic events and processes but only when specific rules are followed. The authors review the important components of effective animations and their extensive, original research on the value of animations in learning and long-term memory retention. When the rules are applied, students can learn complex material more easily and retain more of what they have learned in short and long term memory than they can by viewing static textbook figures. Our results also indicate that learning from animations and graphics differs between males and females. Insight gained from student feedback is highlighted with some final comments on future research. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)