- The
question that the document intends to answer is something like: What do I
have to do to get a POL license? or What steps do I need to follow to
get a PAL licence? The document title could be changed to make this more
obvious. For example, it could be titled “Steps to Follow to Obtain a
Licence,” or “What to do to Obtain a Licence.”
- The
two-column flowchart comprises two lists of steps or actions needed to get a
POL and a PAL licence. The third list, tacked on to the bottom, is a list of
‘facts’ of which applicants should know. They are evidently the
result of ‘frequently asked questions,’ and could probably be
presented in that format.
- The type
of information requested is a series of actions (2) For type of match, document
processing: It is a cycle task (2); independent cycles (+0); matching 2
features (‘to obtain a licence,’ and ‘PAL or POL’)
(+1); 3 item response (+1); number of items unspecified (+1); synonymous match
(+0); no inference needed for requested information (+0); total (5).
Plausibility of distractors: With the word ‘possession’ appearing in
the heading for both lists, there is a distractor for the given information
(2).
- To
improve the rating for ‘type of match’ when using this document, one
could number the steps. That would signal the number of items in the
list and lower the rating because the ‘number of responses’ would
then be specified. Although the information designer has ‘boxed’ the
different steps to separate them, the organization of the two lists does not
immediately give a cue as to the number of steps, he or she must find.
One also has to question the utility of presenting this information in a
flowchart format. Statscan characterizes the ability of people with Level 2
skills as those who can “deal with material that is simple, clearly laid
out, and in which the tasks are not too complex.” The flowchart is not a
‘simple’ information display, nor is it all that common outside
office settings. A simple numbered list, or a ‘checklist’ for each
type of licence application would probably be clearer.
Also, this
particular flowchart is not particularly well-formed or ‘clearly laid
out.’ The first steps in each column are identical, but not treated in the
same way as the last two steps where the two columns are joined. Consistency is
the hallmark of good design. (Lose the graphics too; they add no information
and increase to the clutter.)
|
|
Type
Document |
Level
3 |
|
ToI
2 |
ToM
5 |
PoD
2 |
|
