The effects of black and white and color illustrations on student achievement were studied to investigate the relationships between cognitive styles and instructional design. Field dependence (FD) and field independence (FI) were chosen as the cognitive style variables. Subjects were 85 freshman students in the Iowa State University Psychology pool. The three major instruments were the Group Embedded Figures Test, a color blindness test, and a computerized pretest and immediate posttest. Treatments were (1) programmed instruction supplemented by detailed, shaded drawings of the human heart in color and use of color drawings to answer posttest questions; (2) same treatment with black and white visuals; and (3) instructional script without visuals. Results showed no significant differences between FD/FI groups and no significant interactions. Posttest mean scores for the two experimental groups did not significantly differ from each other but were significantly higher than those of the control group. Color had minimal effect on posttest scores, and the FD subjects were not adversely affected by the presence of color. The students exposed to instructional materials without visuals needed more time to process and learn information. Sixteen references are listed. (LMM)