Although the use of animated visuals is both common and popular among computer based instruction (CBI) designers, the theoretical and empirical foundation for their use have not been firmly established. Animated visuals represent a subset of instructional visuals, not a distinctive set. For this reason, general conclusions from research on static visuals are thought to extend to animated visuals. However, the extent to which animated visuals represent elaborations or departures from this research is questioned. The purpose of this paper is to review current empirical evidence of the instructional effectiveness of animated visuals as an adjunct or alternate presentation strategy. Current applications of computer animation in instruction are discussed and a taxonomy to aid in prescriptive and evaluative purposes is suggested. The theoretical foundations of animated visuals in the areas of perception and long-term memory are also discussed and a brief summary of static visuals research is presented. Finally, conclusions and prescriptions resulting from this review are presented. A summary of the empirical research studying the instructional effects of animation is presented in tabular form and three figures depict examples of different instructional uses of animation. (75 references) (Author/CGD)