Selective review of the results of research on the use of audiovisual media to teach adults.

A literature review was conducted in order to assess the instructional effectiveness of various audiovisual media for teaching adults. The study was aimed at identifying which media are most appropriate for each of several specific learning tasks. Comparative effectiveness studies and research on media, learner, and task variables were judged to be the most potentially valuable. The major criteria for selection of the materials were: 1) recency; 2) completeness; 3) availability; 4) sampling techniques; 5) treatment of no less than 1 hour; 6) measures of media effectiveness; and 7) statistical reliability. Types of studies which were excluded from this review are mentioned. Search procedures for locating the materials reviewed are outlined. Most of the article summarizes actual findings of the assessment.