Visual representations such as photographs, diagrams, illustrations, and even textual formatting are essential for supporting student comprehension, retention, and application in education.

Visual representations are not only used to fill up space and to look pretty; they also help in better learning because they stimulate the student’s spatial intelligence, increase the motivation to learn, and improve the scope for dialogue and teacher-student and student-student discussions.

The purpose of images varies slightly with what subject is being taught. In science, especially, one of the primary purposes is to help clarify and build an accurate conceptual model of the concepts being taught.