The role that illustrations can play in textbooks and other instructional materials is an issue that must appear rather baffling to the instructional materials designer. Focusing primarily on the use of illustrations in textbooks designed for able readers, a literature review has revealed the following: (1) illustrations have been shown in a few…

General guidelines for the writers of instructional materials are provided, with emphasis on clarity in the presentation of textual information and related graphic aids. Some basic points about typographic planning are presented for typographers and printers, as well as writers, and it is suggested that some typographic practices may actually…

The direction of the facilitative effect of questions inserted at intervals in prose material is examined in terms of: 1) the testual distance of the questions from the material to which it refers; and 2) the relationship between the information tested by the inserted questions and that tested by the criterion test items. Results with 140…

Since the questions included in literature anthologies play a key role in the high school English class questioning process, a study examined the questions in four eleventh-grade American literature anthologies. The anthologies met the following criteria: textbooks (1) contained selections organized chronologically, (2) were major compilations in…

A model for developing instructional analogies was used to produce experimental treatments that included text from a high school biology textbook to which was added extended verbal analogies written by the researcher linking each of two biology concepts to analogous familiar concepts. The control treatment was text from the biology textbook…

Efficacious features claimed by experts who had rewritten texts were evaluated in 3 experiments involving 700 undergraduates and 52 instructional texts about Army job tasks. Some experts evidently had effective knowledge about improving text, but it was primarily procedural. (SLD)

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a report concerning the distribution and production of school textbooks in India. All states except Gujarat have nationalized textbook production. While several states have produced more than 150 textbooks through state-controlled efforts, many others have produced only a…

Examines the strengths and weaknesses of an 1828 geography textbook for children, specifically in relation to other textbooks. Jesse Olney's text deviated from the norm by introducing the students to activities focused on community and local geography. Ethnocentrism and racism occasionally marred the lavishly illustrated text. (MJP)

Studies the editing process involving gender-related editorial decisions in the development of instructional materials for elementary art education. Explores sociolinguistic theory and concepts supporting the use of unbiased language. Provides examples of text revision, including rationale behind editorial choices. (KM)