Final answer:
Textbook visuals aim to aid learning for students but can become distracting if not used effectively, highlighting the need for a balance between text and imagery. The use of visuals in textbooks should be carefully considered to keep students engaged and focused on learning.
Step-by-step explanation:
Textbook visuals are intended to make content more approachable and aid in the learning process for students. While effective visuals can facilitate learning by presenting information in a way that is easy to visualize and remember, excessive or disruptive imagery can lead to distraction. College students, the primary audience for textbooks, may find themselves browsing through the material as if it were a magazine if the visuals are not integrated properly. It's important for textbook authors to balance the amount of visuals with text to keep the student's attention focused on the learning objectives. Moreover, the choice of textbooks also matters. A study suggested that college students may not always use the most popular textbooks, implying the need for diverse textbook selection across different levels of popularity.