"By studying actual texts as they function in particular contexts, we can gain an improved understanding of what constitute appropriate, effective strategies of rhetorical organization. At the same time, we can learn from such studies how successful texts are composed and what part schools can play in encouraging students to become able, creative composers" (Bernhardt).
I found this article extremely appropriate given what I've been discussing in my blogs most recently, which is how font and visual features affect the way we read things (most notably for me, in the way I distinguish fiction or novels from essays and academic articles). The way the Wetlands handout is structured is often how I wish that some of these articles could be structured - in broken up chunks of information that are more easily digested than long form paragraphs. The amount of information that I'm able to retain from short form pieces like that is pretty different from what I can grasp from many of the articles we've covered this year.
It makes me wonder if I should break down my notes from these into formats like that example. I'll experiment and see what happens, I think.
"Through these laws of gestalt, visual features take over the load of structuring and organizing the reader's processing, thus reducing the role of those semantic features which organize a form like the essay. Instead of a smooth, progressive realization of the text through initial previewing and a chain of logic which ties each paragraph or section to the preceding or following one, the visible text relies on localization, on a heightening of the boundaries, edges, and divisions of the text. ... In the visible text, the goal is to call the reader's attention visually to semantically grouped information, focusing the reader's attention on discrete sections." (Bernhardt)
Though it's a different topic, the above paragraph drew my attention to something else that's come up in conversation with my roommates a couple of times: the psychology of restaurant menus. Random? Yes. Relevant? Also yes. Food for thought.
I completely agree with you about how the wetlands article was so easy to understand and retain because of the way it was broken down. As I've said in my previous blog posts, I find it easier to read and retain information that is presented in smaller chunks and paragraphs than long pages of black and white. I find it interesting that the information in the wetlands piece could be structured like an academic piece, but the author made the decision to structure it otherwise. It was almost a breath of fresh air to see information structured like that.
ReplyDeleteDuring my internship this summer I learned a lot about structure and the thought processes behind structure of a magazine. There is so much more that goes into the thought process than I had ever realized, but the biggest thing was maintaining the audience's attention as well as making sure that the information was retained. This was achieved using infographics, smaller paragraphs, and an appealing graphic design. It amazed me how much time was spent on analyzing the design alone, and towards the end of my internship they began experimenting with inforgraphics and how they could work within the text. Creating an effective infographic and visual layout is much more complicated than I thought.
I also found the handout discussed by Bernhardt to be very readable when compared to tradition academic texts like many we have examined. For me, it is the less complex elements of the handout that give it power. Most specifically, I find white space in a text to be very helpful to me as a reader. In spite of my best efforts, I seem to generally equate a lack of white space often created by the use of long block paragraphs with daunting and difficult tasks. I also think block quotes make it more difficult to read a text efficiently; I tend to lose my spot while reading and my attention to the writing suffers.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a general consensus among the readers of our blogs that adding more space between blocks of text and using more visual elements tend to make a written work more effective. Assuming that we are not outliers and many people feel this way, why do academic writers often seem to insist on blocking their text together in a way that seems to reduce readability and reader interest? Are they merely adhering to the methods established in their discourse communities? It seems like it would be more rhetorically effective to take an approach which would make it easier for readers to understand and enjoy texts.
Restaurant menus... Yes, I see the connection.
ReplyDeleteIt just occurred to me that menus within classier restaurants (not that I see many of these) usually lack images. Menus within cheaper restaurants abound with digitally-remastered photos of the food. Perhaps this has something to do with McCloud's theory on intellectual prejudices against text and images fused together.
I think Bill Wilkie would point us towards the wonderful world of newspapers. The form of journalistic writing is designed to hold readers attention through short "chunks."
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the progression of material there is a couple different techniques. In one instance, a "good" journalist can write a news story, in which only the first and last paragraph is read and a reader can grasp the concept of the entire story. This kind of style aligns with reading outline/notes.