ABSTRACT
Good visual design supports understanding through simplicity, clarity, and organization. Classroom teachers in some fields depend on using visuals in the classroom. This chapter discusses text, layout, and graphic elements that enhance the learning experience. The ways that learners interact with the online course is directly related to how well it is organized and designed. On the web, more than any other prose medium, the look of text layout strongly affects how readers relate to written content. Symbols and icons can be very useful in signaling small elements in a website that appear over and over again. Icons immediately signal the presence of a certain feature. When the series of items occurs in a sequential order, as is the case with most instructions, numbers are used in place of bullets. A judicious use of a selection of visual design elements lets the student instantly know where he is, what he is doing, and how things are ordered.
