Creating educational illustrations — what works and what doesn't
A good educational illustration strengthens learning; a bad one distracts. Below are five types of illustration you'll encounter in teaching materials — with AI prompts that work, didactic context, and when an illustration does or doesn't help.
When an illustration helps
According to Mayer's Multimedia Learning Principles, images add the most value for:
- • Spatial information: anatomy, geography, technical structure
- • Processes: multi-step explanations, cycles, flowcharts
- • Abstract concepts: through metaphors (cognitive load, scaffolding)
- • Comparison: two images side by side (healthy vs sick, before vs after)
Images add less value for: purely textual theory, numerical-arithmetic explanations, and when the illustration is merely decorative (a stock photo of a textbook in a maths explanation).
Five types of illustration with AI prompts
Anatomical illustration
Heart, lungs, muscular system
AI PROMPT
"Cross-section illustration of the human heart, anatomical accuracy, labeled chambers and valves, didactic style for MBO nursing education, clean white background, minimal decorative elements"
Tip: Ask for "didactic style" and "labeled" — prevents pretty-but-unusable results.
Diagram or process
Flowchart, org chart, cycle
AI PROMPT
"Flow diagram of constructive alignment in education: learning objectives → learning activities → assessment, with arrows, minimal pastel colors, Dutch labels, clean white background, isometric style"
Tip: Specify "minimal" and "clean" — diagrams suffer from visual noise.
Case persona
Patient, client, scenario figure
AI PROMPT
"Photorealistic portrait of an elderly woman, 75 years old, neutral expression, hospital setting, slight tiredness in face, professional clinical context, ethnically diverse, no medical equipment in frame"
Tip: For case studies: use an AI-generated persona instead of stock photos. Avoid real people — ethically and legally problematic.
Technical explainer
Device, machine, tool
AI PROMPT
"Isometric illustration of a household fuse box with labeled components: main switch, circuit breakers, indicator lights, instructional style for MBO vocational education, clean white background, neutral colors"
Tip: Ask for "isometric" or "cutaway" for technical clarity. "Labeled components" makes it immediately usable.
Concept metaphor
Visualizing an abstract concept
AI PROMPT
"Conceptual illustration of cognitive load: a person carrying boxes of varying sizes, with some boxes labeled 'essential' and others 'distracting', educational poster style, warm color palette, accessible design"
Tip: For abstract concepts: build out a visual metaphor explicitly. Avoid overly literal interpretations.
Frequently asked questions
When does an illustration help and when does it distract?+
Three rules. (1) Helps: when the illustration relates directly to the learning objective (an anatomical image in an anatomy lesson). (2) Distracts: when the illustration is decorative (a stock photo of a textbook in a maths explanation). (3) Works especially well for: complex spatial information, multi-step processes, and abstract concepts you visualize with a metaphor. Works less well for: purely textual theory or numerical-arithmetic explanations.
May I use AI-generated images for teaching materials?+
For educational use in your own lessons: almost always yes. For commercial use outside your teaching environment (a book, a paid course), check the licence of the specific AI model. For AI-generated portraits of people: be extra careful — make sure they don't resemble real individuals. LectaMe Image Studio uses models that cover educational use; read /ai-belofte for details.
How do I know if my AI prompt is good?+
Four checks. (1) Does it include the subject (what to depict)? (2) Does it include the style (illustration, photorealistic, diagram)? (3) Does it include the context (which level, which setting)? (4) Does it include constraints (background, colour palette, no X)? Example: "anatomy of the heart" is poor; "Cross-section of human heart, didactic illustration style, labeled chambers, clean white background, for MBO nursing" is good.
How do I check the factual accuracy of AI illustrations?+
For precise educational contexts (anatomy, technical drawings, historically accurate imagery): always compare against a verified source — a handbook, atlas or specialist literature. AI hallucinates visually: in an AI image a heart may have four chambers but in visually incorrect proportions. For mood imagery and metaphors: less critical. For clinical decision-making: never rely on an AI image alone.
Which styles work for which subjects?+
Four rules of thumb. (1) Healthcare education: "anatomical accuracy", "didactic style". (2) Technical subjects: "isometric", "cutaway", "labeled components". (3) Social studies/sociology: "diverse representation", "neutral expression", "professional context". (4) Languages/culture: be careful with stereotypes — ask for "diverse" and "authentic".
What if the AI doesn't draw what I want?+
Three strategies. (1) Give a comparison: "in style of medical textbook illustration" or "like a Khan Academy diagram". (2) Negative instructions: "no decorative elements", "no people in background", "no shadows". (3) Iteration: use the first result as input for refinement: "make this simpler" or "remove the background". (4) Model-specific instructions: some models (Midjourney, DALL-E, LectaMe Image Studio) respond differently to the same prompt — experiment.
Sources
- Mayer's Multimedia Learning Principles — the scientific basis for visual-learning design.
- Kennisnet — Dutch practical tips on imagery and visualization in education.
- Wij-leren.nl — Dutch blogs on the didactic use of images.