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ASSIGNMENT NO. 02

TEXT BOOK DEVELOPMENT I

COURSE CODE: 6552

PROGRAM: MA EDUCATION

STUDENT NAME: FAIZA SABIR

REGISTRATION NO: 16-NNA-02632

ROLL NO: CC517524

Questions Page#

Q. No. 1 :________________________________________________2

Q. No. 02:________________________________________________6

Q. No. 03:_______________________________________________10

Q. No. 04:_______________________________________________12

Q. No. 5 :_______________________________________________14
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Q. No. 1 :
What is the procedure of textbook development in Pakistan? Highlight some of the flaws
in the development of AIOU textbooks.

Answer:
Readability:

Readability is a measure of how easy a piece of text is to read. The level of complexity of the text, its
familiarity, legibility and typography all feed into how readable your text is.
Readability is a key factor in user experience. Accessible content builds trust with your audience.
Feasibility:
It is to try out a trial editions of a textbook with some target user. The feasibility testing objective is
to identify evident and important problems in the manuscripts so that respective authors could
make the corrections and revisions which would make the books valuable learning and teaching
tools before they go through final production, distribution and use.
The SMOG Readability Formula
The SMOG Readability Formula is a simple method you can use to determine the reading level of
your written materials. If a person reads at or; above A grade level, they will understand 90-100% of
the information.
Generally, you need to aim for a reading level of sixth grade or less. In addition, to ensure that the
text is clear and readable, read your draft aloud. It was developed by Harold C. McGraw in Baltimore
Co. Public Schools Towson, MD in 1969. See different relationships at figure 1 and figure 2.
How to use the SMOG formula:
Count 10 sentences in a row near the beginning of your material. Count 10 sentences in the middle.
Count 10 sentences near the end. (30 total sentences) Count every word with three or more
syllables in each group of sentences, even if the same word appears more than once.
Add the total number of words counted. Use the SMOG Conversion Table I to find the grade level at
figure 3. If your material has fewer Than 30 sentences, follow the instructions for "SMOG on Shorter
Passages" and use SMOG Conversion Table II at figure 3. Multiply the total number of words with 3
or more syllables by the conversion number. Use this number as the word count to find the correct
grade level from Table I at figure 3.
SMOG for Shorter Passages (< 30 sentences)
Use this formula and SMOG Conversion Table II for material containing less than 30 sentences, but
not less than 10 sentences.
1. Count the total number of sentences in the material.
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2. Count the number of words with 3 or more syllables.

3. Find the total number of sentences and the corresponding conversion number in SMOG
Conversion Table II at figure 3.
4. Multiply the total number of words with 3 or more syllables by the conversion number.
Use this number as the word count to find the correct grade level from Table I at figure 3.
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Figure 1: Relationship between characteristics of printed materials and factors involved in the
learning process (Anderson et al.1980)
Learning Factors

Motivation and Attention

Attention Direction
Characteristics

Comprehension
Maintenance

Accessibility

Readability

Retention
Readability
Avoidance of Technical language Ꙩ Ꙩ
Use of non-circular definitions Ꙩ Ꙩ
Hyphens not used Ꙩ
Positive writing style Ꙩ Ꙩ
Use of an active voice Ꙩ Ꙩ
Suitable reading level Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ
Stereotyping
Positive role models of women Ꙩ Ꙩ
Appropriate minority representation Ꙩ Ꙩ
Different lifestyles presented in a positive way Ꙩ Ꙩ
Instructional Aids
Chapter and paragraph headings Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ
References, resources bibliography Ꙩ
Index, table of contents Ꙩ
Glossary Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ
Learning experiences, projects and questions Ꙩ
Typographic clueing Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ
Format:
Paper quality Ꙩ Ꙩ
Size and style of print Ꙩ
Length of Paragraphs Ꙩ Ꙩ
Placement and readability of tables and graphs Ꙩ Ꙩ
Use of illustrations Ꙩ Ꙩ Ꙩ
General format Ꙩ
Content
Accurate content Ꙩ
Organization of content Ꙩ
Summaries and reviews Ꙩ Ꙩ
Material reflective of needs and interests of readers Ꙩ
Use of real life situations Ꙩ
Subject matter presented in a fair, objective manner Ꙩ Ꙩ
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Figure: 2 Prototype evaluation form (adapted from Rice & Valdivia 1991) for printed agricultural
materials (PAIMs) applied to two print agricultural materials: (1) “Beef cattle: weaning of calves”
(Appendix 1), and (2), “Guidelines for a community kraal: ‘cut and carry’ feeding systems and the
principle of zero grazing” (Appendix 2)

Specific Criteria PAIM 1 PIAM 2

(Extent Criteria are met: 5 – totally and 1 not met all) 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Content

1 Does it fully present one specific theme Ꙩ Ꙩ

2 Is the content or message easily understood? Ꙩ Ꙩ

3 Does it provide a synopsis of the message or content? Ꙩ Ꙩ

Does it avoid information overload or too much writing Ꙩ Ꙩ

4
in one place?
Design and illustrations

5 Is the size of the letter easy to read? Ꙩ Ꙩ

Does it highlight important ideas by variation in type, Ꙩ Ꙩ

6
size style or colour of certain parts?
Does the layout balance white space with words and Ꙩ Ꙩ
7
illustration?
Do the illustrations clarify or complement the written Ꙩ Ꙩ
8
parts?
Readability and comprehension
Are the writing style, grammar and punctuation Ꙩ Ꙩ
9
appropriate for the audience?
Does it use language easily understood by the target Ꙩ Ꙩ
10
audience?
Total Score 27 27
SMOG reading level score 10 13

Flesch Reading Ease score 57 30

Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level score 9-10 14

Decision: Use as is (*44points); revise(22-43 points); Revise extensively Revise extensively

reject(<22 points)
Comments: for both PIAMS. Revise writing style by *Bullets *wordy sentences
eliminating passive sentences. Increase readability by overused * Jargon not explained
reducing sentence length and number of polysyllable words. *too much technical
Organize content into paragraphs with highlighted key points.
detail
Use pictures with captions to compliment text. Provide
synopsis and key expected benefits.
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Figure: 03

SMOG Conversion Table I (for SMOG Conversion Table II

longer materials) (Use on material with < 30
sentences)

Word Count Grade Level # of Sentences Conversion#

0-2 4 29 1.03

3-6 5 28 1.07

7-12 6 27 1.1

13-20 7 26 1.15

21-30 8 25 1.2

31-42 9 2 1.25

43-56 10 23 1.3

57-72 11 22 1.36

73-90 12 21 1.43

91-110 13 20 1.5

111-132 14 19 1.58

133-156 15 18 1.67

157-182 16 17 1.76

183-210 17 16 1.76

211-240 18 15 2.0

14 2.14

13 2.3

12 2.5

11 2.7

10 3.0
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Q. No. 02:
Briefly explain textbook designing theories. Explain some of the implications of textbooks
design for instructional process.

Answer:
Designing Theories:
There are different theories to design a text book; these theories are”
1. Instructional theory
2. Component display theory
3. Elaboration theory
Let us discuss them briefly:
1. Instructional theory: Instructional theory indicate how to improve the instructional quality
of textbooks, which will be of special benefit to disadvantaged students, since they are hurt
most by poor quality textbooks. Instructional theory is a body of knowledge about
instruction. Instructional theory focuses on how to teach. Its major purpose is to improve
the quality of instruction. It can do by making it more effective that is, by increasing the
amount of learning and reducing the amount of forgetting. And it can do so by making
instruction more efficient-that is, by decreasing the about of time and effort required to
learn the same amount of knowledge. And it can do so by making instruction more
appealing, that is by making learning more enjoyable and increasing the learner’s desire to
learner.
2. Component Display theory: This theory was presented by Men-ill. It is based on the
assumption that a given presentation can be segmented into a series of discrete displays,
most of which are called “presentation forms”. Component Display Theory is based on the
following eight propositions:
i. Primary presentation Forms
ii. Primary Presentation form sequence
iii. Primary presentation form isolation
iv. Learner control
v. Generality Representation
vi. Mathemagenic Information
vii. Attribute Matching, Examples
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viii. Instance Sampling

3. Elaboration Theory: Elaboration theory was developed to integrate knowledge about
instruction on the macro level (aspects of instruction that relate to more than one idea). This
includes such considerations as the selection of content to be taught, the sequencing of that
content, the delineation of important relationships among the content ideas and the
systematic review of the ideas. This theory argues that:
i. Structural relationships in content should be explicitly taught and tested,
resulting in more meaningful, stable learning and
ii. The instructional sequence should be organized around these relationships,
following an “elaboration approach”. Elaboration theory prescribes one of
three models based on the goals of instruction. Each model is made up of
the same seven major strategy components.
1. A special type of general to detailed sequence for the main structure
of the course.
2. A learning prerequisite sequence within individual lessons of the
course
3. A summarizer at the end of each lesson
4. A synthesizer at the end of each lesson
5. Analogies where appropriate
6. Cognitive strategy activators where appropriate and
7. A learner control format
Implications of Designing theories in instructional process:
Some of the implications of designing theories of text in instructional process are as follow:
1. Select and sequence the organizing content ideas.
1.1 Select the kinds of organizing content ideas.
1.2 List all of the important organizing content ideas.
1.3 Arrange the organizing content ideas into an elaborative sequence and group into
chapters.
1.4 Allocate organizing content of chapters.
2. Select the supporting content for each chapter and sequence all content within each chapter.
2.1 List all of the important supporting content ideas for each chapter.
2.2 Sequence both the organizing and supporting content within each chapter.
3. Select strategies for relating new knowledge to prior student knowledge.
3.1 Decide what within chapter synthesizers to include and where.
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3.2 Decide what cumulative synthesizers to include and where.

3.3 Decide what student experiences can be used as instances.
3.4 Decide what analogies to include and where.
3.5 Decide what motivational components to include and where.
4. Select the review strategies.
4.1 Decide which content ideas should be included in within chapter reviews.
4.2 Decide where to put cumulative reviews and what to put in them.
5. Select micro strategies for each idea.
5.1 Select the appropriate micro model for each idea or fact.
5.2 Decide on the appropriate level of richness for that model.
5.3 Write the test items and the primary and secondary strategy components for each idea.
6. Write the remaining strategy components.
6.1 Write the integrative test items.
6.2 Write the synthesisers.
6.3 Write the reviews.
6.4 Write the analogies.
6.5 Write any remaining motivational components.
7. Decide how to format all of the instruction.
7.1 Separate and label all ideas and strategy components.
7.2 Format other aspects of the instruction.
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Q. No. 03:
Discuss the effects of pictorial complexity and its usage in textbooks. What are they good
for?
Answer:
Effects of pictorial complexity and its usage in textbooks:
In addition to decisions related to the selection of appropriate visual formats, the effect of pictures
on learning from instructional textbooks can be increased by considering the complexity of the
content represented. As demonstrated in Figure 2, and 3 one of the major factors in determining the
complexity of a picture is the number of elements in the picture; as the number of elements
increases, so does the complexity. A picture of a world leader surrounded by advisors has more
elements and is somewhat more complex than a picture of him or her alone. The use of several
variations of standard design elements also leads to greater pictorial complexity. Variations in the
types of lines, shapes, textures, spatial arrangements, and color can all increase the amount of detail

represented, thus adding to pictorial complexity. The importance of providing pictures with the
appropriate level of complexity is underscored by research which suggests that children find
complex pictures more interesting and will spend more time examining them than relatively simple,
less complex pictures. However, caution must be used, for there seems to be a point where too
much complexity results in decreased interest and examination time. Similarly, it appears that both
too much and too little interior detail can reduce the effectiveness of a picture placed in an
instructional textbook. Determining the most appropriate level of pictorial complexity is a difficult
task, for complexity is ever-changing and is dependent upon the developmental stage of the learners
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as well as their previous experiences with the subject matter. What seems terribly complex today
may appear rather simple tomorrow. Yet, it seems that some complexity can often be safely added
to pictures without reducing their effectiveness. For example, many middle/junior high science texts
are replete with pictures of animals or objects taken out of context. Both the polar bear and the
praying mantis are shown against similar neutral-colored backgrounds. By carefully adding some
background information and detail, such as placing the animals in their natural habitat, the pictures
could be made more interesting, and probably more effective. Of course, care must be taken to
make certain that the background information does not distract from the main subject of the
picture.
The above discussion has referred to complexity in terms of the physical elements in a picture.
However, this construct can also refer to the relative complexity of the theme represented by the
picture. The major lesson to be learned from considering the complexity of a theme is that young
children seem to have considerable difficulty in properly interpreting and integrating pictures which
represent themes that need to be examined from several perspectives in order to be understood.
That is, the theme will only be understood if the learner is capable of understanding it.
Why they pictorial complexity is good for:
Although their instructional value has often been assumed, pictures have the potential to make
significant contributions to the textbooks. In addition to their traditional decorative role, pictures
can excite the learner, explain difficult concepts, and expand the written narrative. Furthermore,
there are indications that in addition to aiding in the acquisition of information, pictures can affect
intellectual skills and processes. In spite of the fact that this unit focused on some of the ways that
the potency of the textbooks can be increased through the use of pictures, a clear conception of
which pictorial elements, either alone or in combination, affect learning from the textbooks is
missing. For the most part, information concerning these elements must be pieced together from
disparate studies which are only tangentially concerned with the picture text relationship.
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Q. No. 04:
How teachers can be involved in textbook review? Also give some guideline for textbook
review as a teacher.
Answer:
How teachers can be involved in textbook review:
A text book is the translation of curriculum. The teacher is in a better position to see that a textbook
selection or its material selection are helping the students or not. A teacher can question that the
students being prepared for if the content represented in a textbook is only for the middle class
value syste.
In an organized approach selecting a textbook a teacher is responsible for reviewing the text books
and making the recommendations for purchasing them. This is of advantages that a teacher seldct
his own material and he can make a decision quickly based on his individual preference.
But this also have a disadvantage as well because in such a case a teacher may not find sufficient
time to review to a book and hence he may select a previously selected course text or a course that
have narrow range of convenient choices. Secondly there might be lacke of expertise in certain areas
may make it difficult to reach a decision on subject matter that reflects the current knowledge in an
unfamiliar field. Personal biases and preference may also be a problem.
Now to solve this problem there must be a textbook selection committee. And a teacher must be
made a part of that committee for reviewing the book and for participating his inputs in the process
of textbook review.
A committee encourage staff morale, obtained a variety of viewpoints and provided the faculty with
information on the choices made. But again lack of time may not permit adequate devotion to such
an enterprise.
Nevertheless, if a teacher of a faculty participate in the appraisal process, it increases the realization
the the time they spend in appraising materials results in a more efficient use of their time and
resources in the future. Therefore the committee be given a plenty of time for selection and review
of textbooks.
Guidelines for book review as a teacher:
Following are some guideline for teacher for reviewing a textbook:
Target audience
The teacher must see first the target audience in the book. A general question for review is:
To what extent is the book successful in meeting the needs of its primary market?
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Other questions for teachers to review a textbook:

1. Does the book meet the requirements of a scholarly work? Is it research and
evidence-based, and does it provide a critical analysis of the key issues in the
field?
2. Does it provide evidence-based, practical guidelines for faculty and instructors
that will help them improve their teaching?
3. Does it cover adequately the main contemporary issues in teaching in a digital
age?
4. Is the book well written? Does it read well? Is it well organized and structured?
Are there errors of grammar or serious typographical errors? Are the graphics
and cases appropriately chosen?
5. What major changes, if any, are needed before you can recommend this book?
What minor changes would you like to see?
6. If this book was to be offered to a commercial publisher, would you recommend
it for publication?
Question 6 may seem a little odd, but as a teacher my aim here is to ensure that the book
meets the same standards as commercial publishing, where there is the added risk of
financial loss for a commercial publisher if there is no market for the book, or if the book is
not good enough to attract new readers over a period of time. While these risks do not
apply to free, open textbooks, the fact that it is judged suitable for commercial publication
will carry weight with those looking to ensure that the book meets quality standards.
There may be other questions or guidelines that will be specific to your book that you may
want feedback on.
Practical considerations
I as a teacher specified a length for the reviews of between 800-1,500 words, and that the
review would be covered under a Creative Commons CC-ND license. This means the reviews
cannot be changed without permission of the writer of the review. However, reviewers
would be free to publish the same review in an academic journal, if they wished, and the
review could be re-used by, for instance, the author for marketing purposes (but unedited).
The review must also have a definite time line.
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Q. No. 5 :
Discuss general problems and issues of textbooks development and designing according to
reader's point of view.
Answer:
General problems and issues of text books development and designing from reader’s point of
view:
Textbooks have been the backbone of teaching methods for centuries, and possibly they will remain
like that for a long time. But there are valid concerns about their current effectiveness. The Digital
Revolution brought a fundamental change in the way we produce and consume content. Digital
media like newspapers, blogs and websites generate vast volumes of information daily, and social
media keep us in a continuous conversation.
Methods and sources of learning cannot be rigid anymore. They need to be flexible, adaptable and
connected with knowledge production in real time. Do textbooks check all the boxes of these new
requirements?
What works
Textbooks give students the experience of physically interacting with a book. This activity has unique
benefits. A 2013 study found that children between 3 to 5 years old understand better what they
read when it comes from a printed book. The interactive elements presented in digital editions can
be a distraction for kids who are still building the cognitive structure necessary to learn to read.
This distraction doesn’t help advanced students either. Even if they already mastered the basic
reading techniques, it’s more challenging to create an immersive reading experience that enables
concentration. When you’re reading from a tablet or any device with an internet connection,
externals elements like social media, notifications, messages, and emails, disrupt the exercise of in-
depth reading, hindering comprehension and memorization.
Even if it's a digital downloaded book to read offline, the quality of reading reduces in a screen. We
are conditioned not to read seriously when where in front of a screen because we have associated
with brief and entertaining content, like social media conversations, or with articles we read to pass
the time. We do not see it as the hard and attentive read we need actually to learn something. As a
study conducted at Stavanger University, in Norway, found.
Kindle readers performed significantly worse on the plot reconstruction measure, i.e., when they
were asked to place 14 events in the correct order.
Anne Mangen, the author of the study, commented on the assigned readings and how well
participants were able to memorize them. She added that a physical book has features no other
format has, and they are crucial for memorization and reading. When you read from paper, there’s a
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tactile sensation to register your progress, as you turn the page from right to left making up the
physical and psychological weight from the experience of reading and learning.
All these points reinforce the idea that textbooks are still being useful, either as educational material
or learning support resource. Nonetheless, the aspects involved in textbooks production and
distribution raise concerns in teacher and instructional personnel. Why are so many experts arguing
textbooks are obsolete?
What doesn’t work
During the last decade, we have seen how technological advancements have brought us to the
democratization of contents. Educational philosophies like lifelong learning encourage us to use any
tool available to fulfill the objective of continuous learning. But to reduce the argument against
textbooks to just technology and digital content would be simplistic and unproductive.
To understand what is the problem with textbooks we need to go beyond the “digital vs. printed
content” debate, to match the purpose of textbooks with the objectives they must meet and their
target audience: Students.
Usually, textbooks editors have a lot of knowledge about the educational materials and how to apply
quality standards into the production process, but they are painfully out of touch with daily life in
the classroom and how it shapes students learning needs, especially in a time in which that concept
changes rapidly than ever.
As a result, we have educational materials that get anachronic really fast and are useful only for
preparing students for tests. Students memorize the reading to past a test and forget everything the
next day in which they have to empty their brain to fit the information for the next exam. They might
get amazing memory skills, but they are not learning what they need to be competitive professional
and healthy human beings.
The commercial focus of the production process makes matters worse. The companies that make
textbooks rely on the short life expectancy of the product. After just a few years they will be selling a
revised and updated version of the same book, this happens over and over, and the investment that
schools and parents, and eventually college students, have to make becomes astronomical and
useless in the long run.
Textbooks, instead of being a helpful tool, have become a self-sustained mechanism that raises the
prices for education, widening the gap related to economic status.
How can we make them better
There’s no one solution that would fix the textbook problem. We need various strategies that take
into consideration students, teachers, educational personnel, content specialists, and editorial
companies.
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There is no need for all educational content to be 100% digital and open access, but editorials can
learn from the democratic process of open educational resources, so that people behind be
textbooks can be closer to the people that use them.
The same way educational institutions are starting to create whole departments just to put special
care into the development of social and emotional skills, as well as to care for student’s mental
health, educational institutions need to do the same kind of effort to ensure educational materials
are live and flexible products that meet the ever-changing necessities of school life.
No content specialist, regardless the level of expertise on sources, production process, edition,
instructional materials or other relevant subjects, will be able to make a textbook that fully works
without feedback from teachers and students.
Digital technology is not here to entirely replace textbooks, doing so would be a mistake, since we
would be sacrificing essential aspects of reading and learning on paper. But we could use technology
to upgrade the way we share knowledge in the form of textbooks.
Open access contents already set the pace, letting teachers collaborate online to create educational
materials better suited for requirements of their specific courses.
The advantage that printed books have to offer is more than enough to keep them around, but they
can be more than just a tool to exercise reading and memory, but to unlock their true potential, they
need to stop being unilateral products and start being collective process directed to create, and
reinforce knowledge, not just memorize it.
Some other readers point:
(a) Introduction
The following pages suggest the criteria that a methodology would have to meet in order for
something to be called a true technology of text and the degree to which this can be achieved by
present structured writing methods.
(b) Improve Learning
A technology should improve learning of subject matter and jobs, measured by fewer errors and/or
faster learning. It should do so at least as well as current programmed training methods and, if
possible, improve upon them.-
(c) Quick Precise Access Required
Text should unfailingly permit the students to find what they were looking for in any page that came
across their desks quickly, easily, consistently and precisely.
This is absolutely essential in today's era of information overload. As one cyberneticist has said, "An
interpretation of entropy theory suggests, 'The more you know and the more information you have
the more disorganization there is in the absence of higher organizational principles and methods".
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Typical values for improved search time in our unpublished studies have indicated superiority of
structured writing to conventional methods of representing text by a factor of four to ten times.
(d) Better Big Picture and Detail Access
A technology of text should enable the reader to get the big picture or the context accurately and
quickly by skimming only a small part of a page and yet have rapid access to the lowest level of
detail. Our page and book formats standards have been designed with this in mind.
(e) Wide Applicability
A technology of text should work for any subject matter in any job that you have to do. It should not
be an arrow one application method.
(f) Decisions Management Systems
Recent work suggests that structured writing may have significant impact upon the design of large-
scale computer-based decision management systems. These are four systems where there is a
requirement for large-scale file management and multi-person use. It appears that structured
writing permits managers to avoid being swamped by detail and see the large picture (because the
role of the individual page in the document is always apparent) and still have as much detail
accessible as they need when they want to analyses a particular point more deeply.
(g) Better Decision Making
A technology of text should make the organization of a decision-making report instantly visible to
readers and enable them to sport the recommendations and the supporting data and to aid the
thinking and evaluation process in deciding whether to go ahead with the options recommended.
Significant opportunity for research in decision-making (using in-box
appraisal techniques) opens up with structured writing. No studies in this area have come to our
attention.
(h) More Creative Use of Information
In relieving readers of the necessity to mentally chunk and label information, a technology of text
would enable readers to pay attention to how to combine the information into larger and more
incisive context for larger purposes an important factor according to some researchers in the field of
creativity. Only anecdotal evidence exists to date in this area. Users have reported that it is easier to
integrate larger wholes and recognize analogical connections.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~