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Related Experiment Videos

How reliable is computerized assessment of readability?

S L Mailloux1, M E Johnson, D G Fisher

  • 1Kenai Care Center, Alaska, USA.

Computers in Nursing
|September 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Readability software programs show significant variation in assessing text difficulty, impacting educational material evaluation. Different formulas and programs yield inconsistent grade level scores, highlighting the need for careful interpretation.

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Area of Science:

  • Health Communication
  • Educational Technology

Background:

  • Readability formulas are widely used to assess the difficulty of educational materials.
  • Assessing the consistency of different readability software programs is crucial for reliable evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the consistency and comparability of four readability software programs.
  • To determine the variation in readability scores across different formulas and software.

Main Methods:

  • Compared four readability software programs: Corporate Voice, Grammatix IV, Microsoft Word, and RightWriter.
  • Utilized 28 national educational materials on human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and the Gettysburg Address.
  • Analyzed scores from three readability formulas: Flesch-Kincaid, Flesch Reading Ease, and Gunning Fog Index.

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Main Results:

  • Significant differences in grade equivalent scores were found among the assessed formulas for educational materials.
  • Microsoft Word provided consistently lower grade levels and showed greater score inconsistency.
  • Variation in readability scores reached up to two grade levels for the Gettysburg Address, with an average discrepancy of 1.3 grade levels across programs.

Conclusions:

  • There is considerable variation in readability scores provided by different software programs and formulas.
  • Decisions based on readability software results should consider the potential for significant discrepancies.
  • Further research is needed to standardize readability assessment tools in health communication and education.