This report discusses the current state of research into the visual effects of screen layout design, i.e., the arrangement of design elements on a screen. First, two types of design elements are described: technical (those things that engineers work with and that users have little or no control over), and comprehensibility (those elements that a designer, publisher, or programmer can control). Next, two types of research involving the study of the effects of screen design--single and multiple element research--are examined. A number of problems related to studies of the overall appearance of a screen and its effect on learner preferences are then reviewed in relation to "macroprocesses," or the processes and activities a student uses to learn. Conclusions drawn from these studies indicate that the overall visual design of the screen has little effect on macroprocesses, and that the research methodologies and measures employed are not sensitive enough to measure the effects of macroprocesses. It is argued that what is necessary is more precise concentration on the effects of screen designs on learner actions and processes, rather than focusing only on the major effects of learning. Two examples of research in this area are briefly described, and a number of dependent variables in investigating the visual effect of screen designs are proposed. (21 references) (CGD)