Assessing the Complexity of Literacy Tasks

The information gathered here represents the results of a lengthy analysis of many literacy surveys and the test items contained in them. The ‘construct’ of complexity described here is based on what are called ‘Kirsch-Mosenthal properties,’ named for the researchers who identified them initially, Irwin Kirsch and Peter Mosenthal. Analyzing Kirsch-Mosenthal properties is a detailed and time consuming process, but it is extremely useful to anyone who wants to assess the complexity of written questions and directives. For the test or survey designer, the complexity construct allows test items to be made more or less difficult before the test is put together. The same construct can be used to analyze complexity of existing documents such as entry forms to determine what factors make form-filling tasks more complex.

The method of analyzing the complexity of literacy tasks described in this guide should be of interest to anyone responsible for the creation or revision of public documents. Throughout the guide, this group is referred to as ‘information designers,’ but this term should not be interpreted too narrowly. Naturally, it includes all the people who write, design and lay-out documents–those responsible for the final look of pamphlets, entry forms and web-pages. It also includes the various managers, consultants, lawyers, and other staff who have an active part in determining the need for, and the contents of such documents. Ultimately, it is a fairly large group of people who share the responsibility for ensuring that ‘information products’ are targeted at the widest possible audience of Canadian citizens.

Objectives

The objectives of this training are:

• to give ‘information designers’ an understanding of the ability levels of the Canadian population in the areas of prose, document, and quantitative literacy.
• to give ‘information designers’ the knowledge and skills needed to assess the complexity of literacy tasks which are part of the information product being put together.
• add to the knowledge that ‘information designers’ use to manage the level of complexity of public documents and ensure that it matches the ability level of the target population of users.