Re: Learning more from harder-to-read fonts?
Yateendra Joshi <[email protected]> Sun, 5 Jun 2011 19:08:02 +0530
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.infodesign.general |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--===============0519290933== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=0015176f0996857d4004a4f71869 --0015176f0996857d4004a4f71869 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Talking of research, I wonder whether Stanislas Dehaene's work has put paid to endless discussions about all-caps and lowercase settings. "Crucially, it [the brain] reacts in the same way regardless of whether the words appear in same case . . . or in different case" Dehaene S. 2009. Reading in the Brain: the new science of how we read, p. 90. New York: Penguin Books. 388 pages. Disclaimer: I am yet to finish the book -- is is pretty dense -- but recommend it strongly. Yateen On 5 June 2011 16:29, Jose Marconi Bezerra de Souza < [email protected]> wrote: > Colleagues, > > > I wonder if one day one of us will write something like "Infodesign-cafe > top 10 discussions", > it could be so illuminating. It could also instigate people to continue > discussing. > > I am not a specialist in the subject (typography for reading), but I have > to say that > any research that defies information designers=92 established assumptions= is > =93good=94 research. > > > > This research in particular remind me that our obsession with =93clarity= =94 and > =93fluency=94 is not =93the=94 route to design =93effective=94 informatio= n design > artefacts. > > The question =93how to make people to remember and/or learn things for so= me > period of time?=94 is more complex than we may think. > =93To err is human=94 and sometimes can lead to =93meaningful=94 learning= . > > So, what are these "forgiveable" learning contexts? > > > > Rather than being considered =93acceptable=94 or =93correct=94 by our pee= rs, our > designs could work primarily as learning tools and, > > therefore, the strategic placement of =93desirable difficulties=94 (we sh= ould > go far beyond the typographic layout) can be in tune with learning theori= es > and goals. > > So, what are the "best" desirable difficulties that we have designed so > far? > > > > > Jos=E9. > > > On 5 June 2011 06:38, Rob Waller <[email protected]>= wrote: > >> To pick up on Gunnar's remark that 'Academics are the only ones we can >> expect to do the difficult and non-profitable work of seeking generaliza= ble >> knowledge'. >> >> It seems to me that the experience of our own field is that much of the >> most insightful and generalisable knowledge comes from reflective >> practitioners (Donald Schon's term) who may or may not have have academi= c >> connections: scanning my bookshelf I can see Ken Garland, Robin Kinross, >> Gerard Unger, Karen Schriver, David Sless, Per Mollerup, most O'Reilly >> authors, etc, etc. >> >> Incidentally, my iPad keeps trying to correct 'generalisable' to 'genera= l >> usable'. I think it's got a point. If we're not content with being a cra= ft, >> let's aim to be a technology not a science. >> >> And don't forget that academic work is actually profitable for those who >> do it - publishing research papers is how we/they build careers. >> >> Educational psychologists have been testing radical typographic ideas fo= r >> many years, as Gunnar says. There was a brief fad for 'chunked' or 'squa= re >> span' typography in the fifties (North & Jenkins 1951, Nahinsky 1956, Kl= are, >> Shuford & Nichols 1957) in which sense phrases were presented spaced or >> stacked. >> >> A broader view of reading is that it is a strategic process in which a >> range of differently paced activities combine as readers (here, my iPad, >> ever insightful, suggests 'raiders') engage in scanning and searching as >> well as close reading. Whatever else it might be proven to do in the lab= , >> messing with legibility is surely not going to help at this level. >> >> Another random thought to add to the mix... In the early days of the Ope= n >> University in the UK (1970s), which taught almost entirely through writt= en >> texts, there was concern that students would just rattle through course >> texts without pausing to reflect. So frequent self-assessment exercise w= ere >> used to engineer reflective moments, and opportunities for feedback >> (influenced by the programmed learning concept of positive reinforcement= , >> too). But they also introduced a device known as a 'student stopper'. Th= is >> was a bold, sometimes decorative bar across the page which students were >> told meant 'stop and think about what you've just read'. >> >> Rob Waller >> >> ___________________________________________________________________ >> >> Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers: >> [email protected] >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit: >> http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign-cafe >> >> For all Information Design matters: >> http://InformationDesign.org >> >> Problems? Write to: >> [email protected] >> ___________________________________________________________________ >> >> > > > -- > > *Jos=E9 Marconi Bezerra de Souza (PhD, 2008)* > Consultor em design da informa=E7=E3o e professor do Mestrado e Gradua=E7= =E3o de > Design da UFPR > *Information design consultant and university lecturer (Brazil) > PhD **- Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, The University > of Reading (UK, 2008)* > *Master of Arts - **Department of Three-Dimensional Design, The Birmingha= m > City University (UK, 1992)* > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers: > [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit: > http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign-cafe > > For all Information Design matters: > http://InformationDesign.org > > Problems? Write to: > [email protected] > ___________________________________________________________________ > > --0015176f0996857d4004a4f71869 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Talking of research, I wonder whether Stanislas Dehaene's work has put = paid to endless discussions<br>about all-caps and lowercase settings.<br><b= r>"Crucially, it [the brain] reacts in the same way regardless of whet= her the words appear in same case<br> . . . or in different case"<br>Dehaene S. 2009. Reading in the Brain: = the new science of how we read, p. 90.<br>New York: Penguin Books. 388 page= s.<br><br>Disclaimer: I am yet to finish the book -- is is pretty dense -- = but recommend it strongly.<br> <br>Yateen<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 5 June 2011 16:29, Jose Mar= coni Bezerra de Souza <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:marconi2006@g= ooglemail.com">[email protected]</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockqu= ote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc s= olid;padding-left:1ex;"> Colleagues,<br><br><br>I wonder if one day one of us will write something l= ike "Infodesign-cafe top 10 discussions", <br>it could be so illu= minating. It could also instigate people to continue discussing.<br><br> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">I am not a specialist in the subject (typography for reading), but I have to say that = <br>any research that defies information designers=92 established assumptions is = =93good=94 research.<span>=A0 </span></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">=A0</span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">This research in particular remind me that our obsession with =93clarity=94 and = =93fluency=94 is not =93the=94 route to design =93effective=94 information design artefac= ts.<span>=A0 </span><br></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-= BR">The question =93how to make people to remember and/or learn things for some period of time?=94 is more complex than we may think. <br>=93To err is human=94 and sometimes can lead to =93meaningful=94= learning. <br></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">So, w= hat are these "forgiveable" learning contexts? <br></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">=A0</span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">Rather than being considered =93acceptable=94 or =93correct=94 by our peers, our design= s could work primarily as learning tools and, <br></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><spa= n lang=3D"PT-BR">therefore, the strategic placement of =93desirable difficu= lties=94 (we should go far beyond the typographic layout) can be in tune with learni= ng theories and goals.</span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">S= o, what are the "best" desirable difficulties that we have design= ed so far?</span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR"><br> </spa= n></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">=A0</span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"PT-BR">Jos=E9.</span></p> <br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5">On 5 J= une 2011 06:38, Rob Waller <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:rob.wall= [email protected]" target=3D"_blank">rob.waller@simplification= centre.org.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br> </div></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;bo= rder-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5= "> <div bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div><span style=3D"font-size:medium">To pick up o= n Gunnar's remark that 'Academics are the only ones we can expect t= o do the difficult and non-profitable work of seeking generalizable knowled= ge'.</span></div> <div><span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"= font-size:medium">It seems to me that the experience of our own field is th= at much of the most insightful and generalisable knowledge comes from refle= ctive practitioners (Donald Schon's term) who may or may not have have = academic connections: scanning my bookshelf I can see Ken Garland, Robin Ki= nross, Gerard Unger, Karen Schriver, David Sless, Per Mollerup, most O'= Reilly authors, etc, etc.</span></div> <div><span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span></div><span style=3D"font-= size:medium">Incidentally, my iPad keeps trying to correct 'generalisab= le' to 'general usable'. I think it's got a point. If we= 9;re not content with being a craft, let's aim to be a technology not a= science.</span><div> <span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span><div><span style=3D"font-size:m= edium">And don't forget that academic work is actually profitable for t= hose who do it - publishing research papers is how we/they build careers.= =A0</span></div> <div><span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"= font-size:medium">Educational psychologists have been testing radical typog= raphic ideas for many years, as Gunnar says. There was a brief fad for '= ;chunked' or 'square span' typography in the fifties (North &am= p; Jenkins 1951, Nahinsky 1956, Klare, Shuford & Nichols 1957) in which= sense phrases were presented spaced or stacked.=A0</span></div> <div><span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"= font-size:medium">A broader view of reading is that it is a strategic proce= ss in which a range of differently paced activities combine as readers (her= e, my iPad, ever insightful, suggests 'raiders') engage in scanning= and searching as well as close reading. Whatever else it might be proven t= o do in the lab, messing with legibility is surely not going to help at thi= s level.=A0</span></div> <div><span style=3D"font-size:medium"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"= font-size:medium">Another random thought to add to the mix... In the early = days of the Open University in the UK (1970s), which taught almost entirely= through written texts, there was concern that students would just rattle t= hrough course texts without pausing to reflect. So frequent self-assessment= exercise were used to engineer reflective moments, and opportunities for f= eedback (influenced by the programmed learning concept of positive reinforc= ement, too). But they also introduced a device known as a 'student stop= per'. This was a bold, sometimes decorative bar across the page which s= tudents were told meant 'stop and think about what you've just read= '.</span></div> <div><br><font color=3D"#888888">Rob Waller</font></div><div></div></div></= div><br></div></div><div class=3D"im">_____________________________________= ______________________________<br> <br> Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers:<br> =A0<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"= _blank">[email protected]</a><br> <br> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit:<br> =A0<a href=3D"http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign= -cafe" target=3D"_blank">http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo= /infodesign-cafe</a><br> <br> For all Information Design matters:<br> =A0<a href=3D"http://InformationDesign.org" target=3D"_blank">http://Inform= ationDesign.org</a><br> <br> Problems? Write to:<br> =A0<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" targ= et=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a><br> ___________________________________________________________________<br> <br></div></blockquote></div><font color=3D"#888888"><br><br clear=3D"all">= <br>-- <br><img src=3D"" width=3D"200" height=3D"65"><br><b>Jos=E9 Marconi = Bezerra de Souza (PhD, 2008)</b><br><font size=3D"1">Consultor em design da= informa=E7=E3o e professor do Mestrado e Gradua=E7=E3o de Design da UFPR<b= r> <b><i>Information design consultant=A0=A0and university lecturer=A0(Brazil)= <br> PhD </i></b><i>- Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, The = University of Reading (UK, 2008)</i><br><b><i>Master of Arts - </i></b><i>D= epartment of Three-Dimensional Design, The Birmingham City University (UK, = 1992)</i></font><br> </font><br>________________________________________________________________= ___<br> <br> Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers:<br> =A0<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">infodesign= [email protected]</a><br> <br> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit:<br> =A0<a href=3D"http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign= -cafe" target=3D"_blank">http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo= /infodesign-cafe</a><br> <br> For all Information Design matters:<br> =A0<a href=3D"http://InformationDesign.org" target=3D"_blank">http://Inform= ationDesign.org</a><br> <br> Problems? Write to:<br> =A0<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">Info= [email protected]</a><br> ___________________________________________________________________<br> <br></blockquote></div><br> --0015176f0996857d4004a4f71869-- --===============0519290933== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline ___________________________________________________________________ Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit: http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign-cafe For all Information Design matters: http://InformationDesign.org Problems? Write to: [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________ --===============0519290933==--