Teaching material. Ways to enhance visual aids in staff development programs.

Most nurse educators incorporate some kind of media into their teaching strategies. The widespread availability of professionally developed media resources, however, does not guarantee effectiveness. The ASSURE model was presented as one method of selecting these materials on the basis of their suitability for the subject, the adult learner, and the instructor in achieving the desired educational outcomes. Furthermore, it offers guidelines for modifying or designing materials to be used in settings where media resources may be limited. The ASSURE model can help staff development educators provide effective instruction by making the best use of available media through the use of systematic instructional design principles.