It was hypothesized that a visual strategy that incorporates a humorous theme and cartoons with humorous comments relevant to the content helps motivate students to focus on and retain computer-based instructional material. An experiment to assess this hypothesis was undertaken with 43 college students who received a humorous presentation on identifying the tick that carries Lyme disease. Their results on a test on tick anatomy were compared with those of 32 students who had received a conventional lesson. Results indicate no significant difference between treatment strategies in terms of learning and retention. The humor group did indicate more concern about ticks and tick-borne disease, which suggests that they might be more likely to take precautions or might have experienced a different form of learning. Although no differences in learning and retention were seen, the group receiving the humorous treatment appeared to experience more affective impact. Suggestions are given for incorporating humor into computer-based presentations. (Contains 29 references.) (SLD)