There’s no doubt that visual content plays a significant role in every part of life. And since 65% of people are visual learners, including graphics in eLearning courses is essential to engaging students.

Visuals summarize content into smaller chunks that are easier to process. In fact, they are more understandable than audio and text-based explanations combined.

And, because learners effortlessly relate emotions with visuals, using graphics instead of text only improves retention.

Let’s look at some facts and statistics that show the impact of visuals and why eLearning creators should incorporate them into their courses.

1. Visuals Transmit Messages Faster

Research shows that our brains can process visual content at an incredibly high speed.

• Visuals communicate information 60,000 times faster than text
• 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual
• Our eyes can register 36,000 visual messages per hour
• The brain sees images that last for only 13 milliseconds
• We can get the sense of a visual scene in less than 1/10 of a second

Knowing these facts should motivate eLearning developers to design courses that include compelling visuals  that support comprehension. What content would be better as a video or graphic instead of a bullet list?

Read More: 4 Reasons Graphic Design is Essential in eLearning

2. Visuals Boost Long-Term Memory

Information gets stored in chunks in long-term (and short-term) memory, but it's more restricted in the long term. So,  what is the best way to help learners store information in their long-term memory? Pair concepts with compelling  images. Visuals are engaging and enable students to make sense of the content, increasing their ability to remember  the information.

According to Dr. Lynell Burmark, an educational consultant specializing in visual literacy, “…unless our words,  concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear.  Words are processed by our short-term memory, where we can only retain about seven bits of information (plus or  minus 2). Images, on the other hand, go directly into long-term memory where they are indelibly etched.”

Here are a few statistics to further show how effective visuals are: One study found that after three days, people only  retained 10-20% of written or spoken information but almost 65% of visual information. Another study found that an  illustrated texted was 9% more effective than text alone when testing immediate comprehension – but 83% more  effective when the test was postponed.

3. Visuals Increase Comprehension

Studies show that visuals improve learning by up to 400%. Learners process information faster because visuals  stimulate imagination and affect learners on a cognitive level. Studies also found that visuals, such as graphic organizers, improve performance in reading comprehension, finding patterns and relationships, and organizing and communicating ideas.

This infographic shows that our brains are pre-wired to interpret relationships between objects automatically, resulting in almost instant comprehension with minimal effort.

4. Visuals Affect Emotions and Retention

Visuals cause stronger and faster reactions than words, enabling learners to engage with the content. And these emotional reactions also improve retention. How? Visual memory is encoded in the brain’s medial temporal lobe – the same place emotions are processed. The brain is wired to connect visual stimuli and emotional responses, and together the two create memories.

Visuals improve retention by tapping into both positive and negative emotions. Even negative images make a strong emotional impact. And abstract concepts also benefit from visuals by triggering an emotional response in learners.

Read More: Why Instructional Design Matters in eLearning

5. Some Visuals Distract Learners

It’s important to note that visuals can also negatively affect learning if they aren’t used correctly. Visuals must serve a purpose so they don’t distract learners or give them the wrong impression. Here are some examples of visuals that course developers should avoid in eLearning design:

• Generic graphics that lack imagination
• Stock photographs – instead, use actual people, objects, and places if possible
• Poor quality images with low-resolution

Final Thoughts

Our brains process visuals more efficiently than text alone, making visual content more engaging and effective. Unlike text, visuals have the power to stimulate emotional responses and improve comprehension. To support learning goals, eLearning designers should incorporate the following visual content:

• Images
• Videos
• Infographics
• Charts and graphs
• Illustrations and diagrams
• Animated GIFs

Impact Group Training offers customized training solutions for organizations of all sizes. We can help you with development, design, layout, formatting, printing, or eLearning modification. For more information, contact us today!