Investigating the Effect of Color in Educational Films on Learning

Educational materials which are based on psychological effects should develop the power of imagination, reinforce the senses and be motivating, in terms of both the separate elements and their combination. This study aimed at investigating the effect of color in educational films on the amount of learning. In this study, using random cluster sampling method, from among 1777 fourth-graders in state elementary schools in Shahroud, eight classes, and from the practical sciences textbook, four chapters were selected. Eight content-relevant black and white, and color films were also produced. Administering the post test with 10 questions, the results were analyzed using an independent t-test procedure. After one month, 30 students were selected and were evaluated for consistency of learning with color films. : The results showed that the mean of students who had seen color films was 3.68 and that of students who had seen black and white films was 3.39 which show a significant difference. In an investigation performed after a month of displaying color films, no significant difference was observed between the means of groups in the two temporal periods. Nowadays, regarding the growing needs of educational, technical, and academic centers for educational media, and also the easy and inexpensive availability of film producing devices which can even be installed on PCs, it seems necessary to take into account the specifications of educational films. So, it is recommended that in producing educational media, the use of various colors be scientifically taken into account by authorities.