Guilford's structure of intellect factors and his inherent form content of instructional materials were not confirmed as effective predictors of differences in learning from figural, symbolic, or semantic modes of visual presentation. The feasibility of using this model as an aid in design and production of instructional materials was investigated in three parallel studies. Each study involved a set of materials with either figural, symbolic, or semantic characteristics predominant in its subject matter. For each of the sets, still slide programs with audio tapes were prepared in three forms: figural, symbolic, and semantic. A total of 247 sixth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of the nine treatment groups, and measures of mental ability, verbal ability, and cognitive abilities related to the three intellect factors were obtained for all participants. Performance was assessed by a written posttest. No conclusive interaction between modes of presentation, inherent content of materials, and learner characteristics was noted. Intelligence and achievement scores related positively to performance in all groups. (SS)