By: Haidee Thanda, EDC Instructional Design Intern
The use of plain language can benefit students and can increase online reading speed, comprehension, retention and student motivation.
Plain language is language that everyone in your class can easily understand. To use plain language, we must pay attention to our vocabulary, grammatical structure, nouns, verbs and the use of unnecessary words.
As an instructor, I have found that my joy of using uncommon words has caused grief to my students. Through the years, I have learned principles of effective communication that have served to enhance my communication with my students.
The results have been great. It has saved me time and most importantly it has made the online experience more positive for students. How so? Reduced miscommunications. Unclear instructions require endless clarification and can increase the number of emails and messages you and your TA receive. Moreover, complex and confusing content can also discourage students from participating in online discussions.
Here are my five guidelines.
1. Use base verbs. Base verbs improve comprehension. Avoid nominalizations (also known as zombie verbs).
Avoid: If you cannot make the final examination on April 28th, you must make a request in writing before the last week of the semester.
Try: If you cannot make the exam on April 28th, you must send a request in writing before the last week of the semester.
2. Use the active voice. This clarifies who is doing what; passive voice obscures it.
Avoid: The system was overloaded by the students.
Try: The students overloaded the system.
3. Use present simple structure. Avoid using complex, compound expressions. Pretend that you were writing to your grandmother.
Avoid: Students who enrolled in the course at the time that it was first launched were admitted during the fall semester. If you are not one of those students it could have an effect on your degree requirements.
Try: If you have enrolled after the fall semester deadline you may not be eligible to take this course.
4. Delete unnecessary words. By reducing the amount of text on your page, students can focus on the content that is key to the lesson. Imagine you had to pay a dollar for every word typed.
Avoid: This is the final and last notice.
Try: This is the final notice.
5. Avoid using shall. Shall is formal and ambiguous. Use “must” to indicate requirements. The word must is clear and can help your students understand what is expected of them.
Avoid: Any student who wishes to use an e-portfolio to document their work shall make a request to the TA.
Try: If you want to document your work using an e-portfolio, you must make a request with the TA.
Use the guidelines to edit, not write. It will just hamper your writing process. Following the guidelines above can go far to help you write instructions more effectively.
Source:
- Tim Corson and Rebecca Smollett, University College Writing Centre, at www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/style-and-editing/passive-voice
- Securities and Exchange Commission, Plain English Handbook, 1998, Washington, DC, p. 25.
- Wright, Nick, Hidden Verbs, at www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/wordsuggestions/hiddenverbs.cfm