Every word requires effort reading and comprehending. A little editing can make a better learning experience.
We strive to reduce cognitive load in elearning. What does that mean? Well, hats off to John Atkinson for illustrating it beautifully. In Redundantown everything is labelled twice. Use learning psychology and halve the words to have a similar level of comprehension.
If you fancy a challenge, try shortening the paragraph below from the Plain English Society’s examples of communication at its worst.
‘Ward Philosophy: To improve the quality of life in a caring, safe and secure environment with self-care encouraged and, although involving an element of risk, with as little disruption to the patient’s own daily routine as possible. To achieve this goal a good nurse/patient relationship is encouraged with individualised care plans enabling staff to highlight specific problems and needs.
The learners should be made aware of the condition, problems and requirements specific to the speciality to enable them to assist safely in the care of patients and complete care plans with confidence. The overall ward atmosphere should be such that patients are able to relax and be as free of anxieties as possible. The learners should be involved in the ward management within their limitations – thus forming an essential part of the ward team.’