Plain Language Assignment

Test Type

Sub-types of Tests:

Goals

Text-based

Readability testing through:

· ‘Flesch Reading Ease,’ and

· ‘Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level.’

· Improveing the comprehensibility and accessibility of the text, ‘Best Countries 2020.’

· Improveing the effectiveness of users with respect to usability of the document in coordination with learnability, memorability, user satisfaction, and error recovery. Comment by Joe Sample: I am not sure where some of these terms come from (Burnett?) but that is okay. The goal of a readability test is to find out if the writing level is appropriate for the intended reader.

User-based

Concurrent testing through:

· Exploratory Testing

· Assessment Testing

· Validation Testing

· Beta Testing

· Ascertaining information directly from users (user feedback). Comment by Joe Sample: This largely defines the kind of test.

· Assessing user assumptions, skills, needs, concepts, and goals. Comment by Joe Sample: Remember that you are testing the usability of the document. You are not testing people per se.

Test Type

Researchers/Participants and Their Characteristics

Text-based

Demographic variables of the researcher states the characteristics as of male gender, 22 years age, no professional experience, and a college graduateeducation level of graduation.

User-based

Characteristics of participants for ‘Best Countries 2020 ’ report include mostly high-school graduates, and a fewrelatively low proportion of undergraduates. The participants of the study who are interested in using the documents are members of civil society, school and college students, migrant labors from other countries, and general audience, and a larger portion of self-employed individuals. Comment by Joe Sample: What is this document? What do people do with it? Comment by Joe Sample: What does this mean?

Test Type

Specific Features and Elements for Testing

Text-based

Flesch or other readability assessment measure Diction, appropriate use of images, sentence length, and paragraph length.

User-based

Along with organization, navigation and completeness, testing aims to provide overview of the user experience during the process of using the document ‘Best Countries 2020’. Comment by Joe Sample: Make sure explain in the report what the “process” is and how one goes about “using the document”

Test Type

Questions/Scenarios

Text-based

Testing Questions:

· Is the design of report effective in placing text and images that increases usability of the reader? Comment by Joe Sample: Are you answering these questions? Will you use PL principles?

· What are the average sentence and paragraph lengths in the report? Comment by Joe Sample: Flesch will get you this.

· What are the functions, benefits, and limitations of the report when viewed with readability study approach? Comment by Joe Sample: These sounds like something you would address in the results or recommendations.

Testing Scenario:

· It entails the context in which participant is responding to the text, and the actual information expected to retrieve. For example, an international student studying in United States hopes to find an employment opportunity in a country that is most suited for his or her needs. Comment by Joe Sample: Yes, you are defining the concept here. Tell me what you will do.

User-based

· Was it easy to understand in terms of technical jargons and English writing style for non-native English speakers? Comment by Joe Sample: Will you ask your test takers these questions, and if so, what will be the environment?

· How was the formatting of the report? And did it manage to communicate critical information while reading the document of twelve pages.

· Difficulties and limitations of the document in usability terms based on users reading experience.   Comment by Joe Sample: Okay – this is what still needs to be defined. This is the most challenging part. How are you setting this up for them to read? Where will they be? What will they be asked to do?