Using Readability Formulas

Using Readability Formulas Any readability formula is one of many methods of measuring or predicting the difficulty level of text by analyzing sample passages. A conventional readability formula measures average word length and sentence length to provide a grades and Observations, below. Five popular readability formulas are the Dale-Chall readability formula (Dale Chall 1948), the Flesch readability formula (Flesch 1948), the FOG index readability formula (Gunning 1964), the Fry readability graph (Fry, 1965), and the Spache readability formula (Spache, 1952). Examples and Observations: Because researchers have been examining readability formulas for almost 100 years, the research is comprehensive and reflects both the positive and negative aspects of formulas. Essentially, research firmly supports that sentence length, and word difficulty provide viable mechanisms for estimating difficulty, but they are imperfect. . . .As with many tools that work with normally developing readers, readability formulas may require some tweaking when the target population includes struggling readers, learning-disabled readers, or English language learners. When readers have little or no background knowledge, readability formula results may underestimate the difficulty of the material for them, particularly for English language learners. (Heidi Anne E. Mesmer, Tools for Matching Readers to Texts: Research-Based Practices. The Guilford Press, 2008) Readability Formulas and Word Processors Today many widely used word processors offer readability formulas along with spell checkers and grammar checkers. Microsoft Word provides a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Many teachers use the Lexile Framework, a scale from 0 to 2000 that is based on average sentence length and average word frequency of texts found in an extensive database, the American Heritage Intermediate Corpus (Carroll, Davies, Richman, 1971). The Lexile Framework circumvents the need to perform ones own calculations. (Melissa Lee Farrall, Reading Assessment: Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition. John Wiley Sons, 2012) Readability Formulas and Textbook Selection There are probably more than 100 readability formulas currently in use today. They are widely used by teachers and administrators as a way of predicting if a text is written at a level appropriate for the students who will use it. While we can say with relative ease that readability formulas are fairly reliable, we need to be cautious in using them. As Richardson and Morgan (2003) point out, readability formulas are useful when textbook selection committees need to make a decision but have no students available to try out the materials on, or when teachers want to assess materials that students may be asked to read independently. Basically, a readability formula is a quick and easy way to determine the grade level of written material. However, we must remember that it is only one measure, and the grade level obtained is only a predictor and thus may not be exact (Richardson and Morgan, 2003). (Roberta L. Sejnost and Sharon Thiese, Reading and Writing Across Content Areas, 2nd ed. Cor win Press, 2007) The Misuse of Readability Formulas as Writing Guides One source of opposition to readability formulas is that they are sometimes misused as writing guides. Because formulas tend to have just two major inputs- word length or difficulty, and sentence length- some authors or editors have taken just these two factors and modified writing. They sometimes end up with a bunch of short choppy sentences and moronic vocabulary and say that they did it because of a readability formula. Formula writing, they sometimes call it. This is a misuse of any readability formula. A readability formula is intended to be used after the passage is written to find out for whom it is suitable. It is not intended as a writers guide.(Edward Fry, Understanding the Readability of Content Area Texts. Content Area Reading and Learning: Instructional Strategies, 2nd ed., edited by Diane Lapp, James Flood, and Nancy Farnan. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2004)Dont bother with the readability statistics. . . . The averages of sentences per paragraph, words per sentence, and characte rs per word have little relevance. The Passive Sentences, Flesch Reading Ease, and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level are computed statistics that dont accurately assess how easy or hard the document is to read. If you want to know whether a document is hard to understand, ask a colleague to read it. (Ty Anderson and Guy Hart-Davis, Beginning Microsoft Word 2010. Springer, 2010) Also Known As: readability metrics, readability test

Windows versus mac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Windows versus mac - Essay Example Mac OS X, a proprietary, graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers. The most recent being Mac OS X v10.4, which was first made available in April 2005. Releases of Mac OS X are named after big cats and OS X v10.4 is usually referred as "Tiger". Mac OS X is a Unix-like operating system and the successor to the original Mac OS, which had been Apples primary operating system since 1984. [W3] The comparisons of Windows Vista and Mac OS X from User-Interface, security, speech-recognition, web-browsing, multimedia authoring, Widgets/Gadgets, kernel and performance perspective is given in following paragraphs. User Interface (UI): Windows Vista is very attractive, extremely straightforward and easy to grasp compared to Mac OS X. Vista is better looking than OS X, but only in the Aero UI and only at a cosmetic level. This new interface (Windows Aero) is cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing as compared to previous versions. It has features such as new transparencies, animations and eye candy. Security: This is the tough task as Vista is only one month old (commercially). Microsoft Vista includes virus and adware scanners and advanced phishing protection. On Mac OS X, one can download anything and everything because having secure (or trust) in the knowledge that they will not get logic bombed into oblivion. Worms are rebuffed Mac OS X and Internet hacks are almost non-existent in it. While Vista will definitely have some sort of major exploit, which will emerge within the next year as it is only two months old. (Biggs 2007) Speech Recognition: – Speech recognition is fully integrated in Windows Vista is at it best. Microsoft Speech Recognition, with having supports to several languages, a better interface, a rich and flexible set of commands, and an extensive command-and-control capability to activate the computer by voice. Voice recognition in OS X is an

Summary of the narrative life of frederick douglass, An american slave Essay

Summary of the narrative life of frederick douglass, An american slave - Essay Example His mother died without him knowing her well. At the age of seven, his mother's body was found dead in one of Frederick master's farm, near Lee's Mill. Having no slight intimation with his mother, he accepted her death like an ordinary death of a stranger, with no spark of pain in his heart. His first master was Captain Anthony. People by his time say that his master is his father by which he did not confirm to be a fact. Captain Anthony is a clerk and superintendent of Colonel Edward Lloyd. This man owns from three to four hundred slaves in his plantation. Every month the slaves receive their monthly allowance of food - eight pounds of pork or fish, and one bushel of corn. Aside from this, they also receive a yearly clothing of two coarse linen shirts and one pair of shoes. Just when he thought he is going to spend his entire life under the agony of slavery, suddenly hope came his way upon knowing that he was allowed by Captain Anthony to stay in Baltimore with Mr. Hugh Auld. He was between the age of seven and eight that time. By the time Frederick reached Mr. and Mrs. Auld's house, he had felt the warmest welcome he had ever experienced in his entire life. This was the first time he had ever seen the most pleasant faces of slaveholders. The city slave, unlike the slaves in the plantation, is almost a freeman. His stay to this place gave him the opportunity to learn the basics of English alphabet, through the help of Sophia Auld, his new mistress. But then, when her husband found out what she was doing, she had been forbidden to teach Frederick, for the reason that according to him, "learning would spoil the best nigger in the world." Frederick this time has to learn reading in his own perseverance, and to bring his dream into reality, he made friends with the white boys whom he encountered in the street that later on helped him succeed in learning to read. At the age of ten or eleven, he returned to his hometown, Holmes Hill Farm. This is because his master, Captain Anthony, died and all the slaves, including him have to be divided between his master's children, Mrs. Lucretia and Mr. Andrew. During this process, slaves were scrutinized before the division. No one wished to be a slave for Mr. Andrew for he is cruel and merciless like all other masters. Lucky enough, Frederick was chosen to be a slave for Mrs. Lucretia's and was sent back to Baltimore. Upon reaching the age when he could give dates, Frederick has left Baltimore to live with Master Thomas in March 1832. This time, he was sent to a guy named Mr. Covey. This guy claims to be religious, but has no heart for his slaves. He finds pleasures in whipping them all the time, and Frederick, being one of the slaves, did not escape this. He was beaten almost everyday until the time he thought it would be a benefit to take his own life. But the Ganadores 3 hope of freedom still lingers in his mind that stopped him from committing

Characteristics of Good Test Questions Essay Example for Free

Characteristics of Good Test Questions Essay Here is the list of characteristics that you should follow when either writing or selecting interpretive exercise questions for use in Stage 2 of any curriculum planning. Examples of these characteristics and why they are important will be discussed in class. Interpretive exercise questions consist of a series of selective response items based on a common set of introductory material. The introductory material may be in the form of written materials, tables, charts, graphs, maps or pictures. These questions are the hardest to write, because you have to find novel introductory material related to your unit of instruction that works and is important. The reason for including this type of question in a unit test is that it gives students practice answering this type of question which is often used on standardized tests in science. Advantages: 1. Measure the ability to interpret the introductory material encountered in everyday situations. 2. Measure more complex learning outcomes than is possible with other forms of selected response items. 3. Minimizes the influence of a students’ lack of needed factual information on measurement of complex learning outcomes. 4. Greater structure than essay test. 5. A question type used in standardized tests. Students need to be familiar with this question type. Limitations: 1. Hard to construct: find materials that are new (novel) but relevant. Usually needs some editing. 2. Heavier demand on students’ reading skill. Keep reading level low, passage brief. In primary grades use more pictorial materials. 3. Cannot measure students’ overall approach to problem solving (doesn’t show work steps). 4. Only test problem-solving ability at the recognition level. Interpretive Exercise Guidelines: 1. Select introductory material that is in harmony with course outcomes. 2. Select introductory material that is appropriate to the curricular experience and reading level of the student. 3. Select introductory material that is new (novel) to the student. 4. Use introductory material that is brief, but meaningful. 5. Revise introductory material for clarity and conciseness for greater value. 6. Construct test items that require analysis and interpretation of the introductory material. 7. Make the number of test items roughly proportional to the length of the introductory material. 8. When constructing the test items use the guidelines given in the writing of selective response items.

Review of Research Paper on the Interphase of Mitosis -- Biology Eukar

Introduction The eukaryotic cell cycle, mitosis, is a succession of events that occur for the reproduction and growth of these multi-cellular organisms. Characteristic events in mitosis can divide the cell cycle into different stages, or phases. This paper focuses on the interphase of cell cycle, which is when DNA replication occurs, and the cell is engaged in metabolic activities to prepare itself for cell division. The idea that these two processes are related arises much controversy in what their relation is exactly. A few theories propose that the cell cycle dictates DNA replication, whereas others support that DNA replication dictates the cell cycle. However, more research on yeast cells have determined that some unknown mechanisms link these two processes together. The experiment did not find conclusive evidence that either one of the processes controls the action of the other. Metabolism A major concept displayed throughout our scientific paper is the metabolic cycle, more specifically, how yeast goes through metabolism. To better understand the metabolic cycle of yeast, a general overview of metabolism is needed. Metabolism is a blanket term covering all of the chemical reactions that occur in living cells. These processes are the basis of life, allowing cells to grow, reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond outwardly towards their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories; catabolism and anabolism. Anabolism uses energy to build different components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids. Catabolism, on the other hand, is the process that yields energy, one example of that is the breakdown of food in cellular respiration. Catabolism is the process that is focused on in the pap... ...hesize DNA, as two peaks begin to appear as some cells enter G2 of the cell cycle after going through the S phase, which doubles their DNA. In the reductive charging phase, you see the number of cells in G2 decrease as they enter Mitosis and become part of the G1 population as they half their DNA. Cell Cycle Connection In this experiment they used nutrient-poor conditions, in which the yeast cells acted as one unit. This means that the cells underwent replication simultaneously. Normally under nutrient-rich conditions, the cell cycles are random. By taking away the nutrients, the cells had to organize to utilize the nutrients available to sustain life most efficiently. Technically the cells divide up into two groups, where one is replicating while the other is not. Sources View the Paper Online: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/316/5833/1916/

Dramaturgy and Social Interaction Essay

Josiah Platt Soc 210 1. What is Goffman’s principle of â€Å"impression management†, in your own words? Why is it often called the dramaturgy model of social interaction? (Look at chapter 5! ) Goffman’s principle of impression management means that we always try to give that good impression of ourselves, even if that means lying to do it. It’s often called the dramaturgy model of social interaction because people put a facade on depending on the person they’re with. For example, my brother was born here, while most of my family was born in New York. When we go up to New York, my little brother Zach has the biggest New York accent you have ever heard in your life. 2. How is technology changing social interaction? Has it changed the interactions you have with family and friends, how? Are there more distractions that interfere with your social interactions? (Make sure to reread and incorporate concepts from pages 120-124 â€Å"interaction in cyberspace† in your answer. ) I believe that technology has changed face to face interaction. It’s a lot different talking to someone face to face than it is to message them on Facebook. My Dad always talks to me about this. He doesn’t have a Facebook; in fact he doesn’t know how to turn on a computer. A lot of my friends have smartphones, and when there is an awkward moment in public, it’s straight to twitter, Facebook, texting, or some new app. I don’t have a smartphone or texting, so I either endure the pain of the awkward moment, or I act like I’m texting someone. Online social interaction does do some good though. I have a brother in law who is a loner, but I can talk to him on Facebook. There are more distractions that interfere with social interactions in my life, though they usually don’t come from me. As I said earlier, I may pretend that I have the ability to shut the world out via my phone, but I really can’t. 3. Do you see these new forms of social interaction as positive, negative, or both? Explain. As I said in the second question, I see these new forms of social interaction as both positive and negative. There are moments when I wish I could get on my smartphone that I don’t have and I could play words with friends or jump on twitter when an awkward moment arises, but I usually try to live through that gap. Some people live on their phones though. I have a friend who is always doing something new on his phone. Instead of asking someone where to eat, he can shake his phone and it’ll act as a slot machine and magically come up with a place. Interaction in cyberspace has eliminated a lot of social interaction, which can’t be good. There is a flipside, though. I really do have a brother in law who as our society would say, is socially awkward. He often would come over and not say a word. There are times that I go babysit for their family and it’s just us in the living room and you could hear a pin drop. He added me to a fantasy football league a couple of years ago and now we have something in common to talk about. We still haven’t found much common ground but when all else fails, we just talk about sports. 4. How do you respond to the argument that these new technologies produce more alienated people, instead of bringing them together? By alienated, I mean withdrawn or emotionally disconnected from normal society) I think that the argument of more alienated people from society is right. Even talking on the phone is becoming old and outdated. I can’t text, so I’m always talking to my friends on the phone. I have friends who tell me that I’m the only person they talk on the phone with. Everyone else gets a text. I actually had a conversation with one of my best friends for 39 minutes two weeks ago. I was so proud of myself. There is a fear of awkward moments in our society and we will do whatever it takes to avoid that moment. Right now that means eliminating social interaction with strangers. 5. Look at the social networking site (i. e. MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn) of a friend, co-worker, or your own, and apply Goffman’s dramaturgy/impression management theory of social interaction. After writing down an overall review of elements that you see on the page (even the use of cultural elements such as a subculture, dress, language use, norms), discuss the impression this person giving off. How might their/your friends interpret that impression? How might a potential employer interpret that impression? This profile uses the new timeline layout. There is a picture of an MLS soccer game from a good seat as his banner picture. For his little profile picture, there’s a picture of him with two of his friends at an N. C. State football game. He has his job listed underneath his profile picture along with his birthdate, where he was born, and the college he goes to. He is closing in on 1000 friends, so I’d say he’s a popular guy. A lot of his posts are about sports. He stays out late I can see since he checked in on four square at waffle house at 3:00 AM. He posts a lot of song lyrics on his page as well. He doesn’t curse on Facebook, which is good if an employee looked at his page. He usually dresses in a t-shirt and jeans. He’s giving off this impression that he’s always in a good mood and watches a lot of sports. I think an employer wouldn’t mind at all if he looked at his profile (unless he’s a duke fan).

What Is Liberal Arts Definition and Examples

Liberal arts is a field of study based on rational thinking, and it includes the areas of humanities, social and physical sciences, and mathematics. A liberal arts education emphasizes the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, the ability to solve complex problems, and an understanding of ethics and morality, as well as a desire to continue to learn. Liberal arts are increasingly important in the diversified job market, with employers choosing to hire liberal arts majors because of their ability to handle complex situations and solve problems with ease.   Key Takeaways: Liberal Arts Definition A liberal arts education emphasizes rational thought and aims to develop robust critical thinking and analytical skills, problem solving abilities, and a strong moral compass.Fields of study include humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics.The key element in defining liberal arts is the intent to combine practical, concrete information, like data and statistics, with theoretical knowledge, like ethics and philosophy.Mathematics and science can also be considered liberal arts. The element that determines a liberal arts education is not necessarily the major, but rather the institution. Liberal arts colleges provide students with education in both intellectual and practical skills. Liberal Arts Definition Liberal arts are commonly misunderstood as â€Å"soft† subjects that lack supporting numbers or data. While the liberal arts definition does include humanities and soft sciences, it also encompasses physical sciences and mathematics. The key element in defining liberal arts is the intent to combine practical, concrete information, like data and statistics, with theoretical knowledge, like ethics and philosophy. This kind of learning produces well-rounded students with strong critical thinking and analytical skills, and the ability to adapt and work well in various fields of study. Though the world’s greatest Greek and Roman thinkers—think Plato, Hippocrates, Aristotle—pioneered  the liberal arts more than a millennium ago, contemporary universities include general education requirements that supplement subject-specific course because the purpose of the modern university is to provide a combination of practical and intellectual training. Liberals arts can be found at a wide range of colleges and universities, though some institutions place a stronger emphasis on the discipline than others. Some institutions filter out the liberal arts completely, focusing instead on career-oriented skill acquisition. Below are the different types of institutions and how they relate to the liberal arts. Public and Private Colleges feature a robust curriculum with a handful of general education requirements, including liberal arts and interdisciplinary subjects. For example, business majors may be required to complete courses on ethics, history, or language, which are intended to influence the way they understand their career-oriented courses.For-Profit Colleges are privately owned institutions that facilitate career-specific training, usually in culinary arts, healthcare, and business. The focus is entirely on practical training, so liberal arts are not included in the curriculum.Community Colleges offer two-year programs that lead to an associates degree. They are frequently used as stepping stones toward a bachelors degree, so students will complete their general education (and liberal arts) studies before going on to a larger university.Vocational/Technical/Trade Colleges are institutions that give students career-specific training in one field, and they do not include liberals a rts within the curriculum, similar to for-profit institutions.Liberal Arts Colleges, as the name suggests, are institutions that focus heavily on providing a strong liberal arts education to all students in all fields. Usually, these are private, four-year colleges that tend to be more expensive than other institutions. Common courses include history, language, mathematics, science, and philosophy. Liberal Arts Majors and Examples The Cartesian Coordinate System, developed by Renaissance thinker Renà © Descartes, is a direct product of liberal arts. Tom Werner / Getty Images There are several branches of liberal arts majors, including humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics. While attending higher education, students can select majors that fall under any of these categories.   Humanities  are academic subjects that focus on human culture. These majors include English, Creative Writing, Linguistics, language acquisition (Spanish, Greek, Mandarin), History, Literature and Composition, and Geography.  Social Sciences are focused specifically on human society and interpersonal relationships. They feature elements of hard science, including data and statistical analysis, and they use the scientific method to reach conclusions. Social science majors include Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, and Economics.Physical Science and Mathematics  can be included within the definition of liberal arts if the curriculum seeks to combine practical and philosophical knowledge. This combination can be found in general education requirements in many state schools as well as at liberal arts-focused colleges. Physical science and math majors include Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Geophysics, and Mathematics (broadly, usually encompass ing algebra, geometry, calculus, and so on).Liberal Arts Teaching Methods are often used in classroom settings to encourage group participation and discussion, regardless of whether or not the material is considered a liberal art. For example, the Socratic Method is a type of teaching in which students present and defend arguments and teachers talk very little, acting as arbiters of the conversation. The purpose of this method is to develop critical and analytical thinking skills across disciplines. Best Liberal Arts Colleges The element that determines a liberal arts education is not necessarily the major, but rather the institution.   Tom Merton / Getty Images   Liberal arts colleges tend to be small, private institutions with low teacher-to-student ratios, and especially in the United States, much higher price tags than other four-year colleges and universities. However, they rarely teach single-minded expertise on one subject and often feature robust general education requirements. This higher education model provides students with a well-rounded education and a strong moral compass. Successful liberal arts institutions should produce students well-trained in soft and hard sciences, mathematics, and humanities, making the price worthwhile. According to data from Forbes, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and US News and World Report, the following schools are consistently ranked as the best liberal arts colleges in the United States:   Williams College (Berkshires, Massachusetts): Williams College requires students to take three courses in three different fields of study: arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. There are no required courses, but all students must demonstrate strong skills in writing, reasoning, and mathematics before earning a degree. Williams is one of the highest producers of both Fulbright and Rhodes Scholars.Amherst College (Amherst, Massachusetts): Amherst College features an open course plan, which allows students to choose the courses they are most interested in. Amherst has no required core curriculum. Students can choose between 40 majors, or they can design their own major.Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania): Swarthmore is based on a Quaker tradition, emphasizing strong relationships between teachers, students, peers, and the environment. At 8:1, the student-to-teacher ratio is low, and Swarthmore is one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholars in th e U.S. Swarthmore offers an engineering degree, unlike most liberal arts colleges.Pomona College (Claremont, California): Just an hour away from Los Angeles, Claremont College offers 48 different majors and over 600 courses, with a low 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Claremont offers admission to all students regardless of their ability to pay tuition and offers complete financial aid to meet the demonstrated need of every admitted student.Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine): Bowdoin College focuses on need-blind admissions, diversity, and social responsibility while fostering independent thought. More than half of Bowdoin students complete additional honors and summer coursework, and a majority of students produce robust independent research before graduating.Wellesley College (Wellesley, Massachusetts): Widely considered to be the top womens college in the country, Wellesley College features a strong list of alumni, including former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hillary Rodham Clinton. More than 70 percent of all students participate in internships during their studies and more than half study abroad.Bates College (Lewiston, Maine): Bates College requires first-year freshman to take an orientation course together during the first semester to develop a strong foundation of scholarship and community. The low student-to-teacher ratio emphasizes this foundation, as does the strong sense of community outreach and annual volunteer efforts. In 2017, the college was ranked number one for Fulbright recipients.Davidson College (Davidson, North Carolina): Located just north of Charlotte, Davidson College has produced 23 Rhodes Scholars and 86 Fulbright Scholars. More than 80 percent of the student body study or work abroad during their tenure and just under 25 percent of students also participate in athletics.Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut): Wesleyan provides students with the option of open curriculum, where they determine the courses they are most interested in taking, as well as pre-planned majors with emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, in true liberal arts fashion. The university also offers need-blind admission and features a low 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio.Smith College (Northhampton, Massachusetts): As an all womens college, Smith stands out by consistently ranking among the best liberal arts colleges in the U.S. It offers nearly 1.000 courses in 50 different fields of study and sends half of its student to study abroad annually. It is ranked every year as one of the highest producers of Fulbright Scholars. Sources Sanders, Matthew. Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education. Institution for Communication Leadership, 2012. Tachikawa, Akira. â€Å"Development of Liberal Arts Education and Colleges: Historical and Global Perspectives.† Liberal Arts Education and Colleges in East Asia. Singapore: Springer, 2016. 13–25.Zakaria, Fareed. In Defense of a Liberal Education. W. W. Norton Company, 2015.