Sorry for the X-posts, but this might be relevant to everyone. I have a niggle about the the glossary definition of Design Elements, which says in part:<br><br><i>In this study the elements related to functionality are structure, usability and accessibility, including navigation and load time, appropriateness and relevance.<br>
</i><br>Punctuation can make a big difference to the interpretation of a term. When it says "usability and accessibility, including navigation and load time," it makes it sound as if navigation and load time <b>both</b> refer to usability and accessibility, whereas I believe navigation and load time only relate to <i>usability</i>.<br>
<br>I can't see a strong connection between navigation and accessibility (except maybe if nav buttons were so small that they were hard for some disabled people to see or click on).<br>I can't see any connection between load time and accessibility.<br>
<br>The other matter is the lack of an Oxford comma (see below) before the last item in the list. <br><br>Without the comma it is ambiguous whether "appropriateness and relevance" are meant to be read as a joined pair, or whether they are separate. I'd advocate using the Oxford comma to make it clearer in such lists in the study design.<br>
<br>In the next edition, I'd like VCAA to use some less ambiguous punctuation, such as jolly useful colons and semicolons. e.g.<br><br><i>In this study the elements related to functionality are: structure; usability, including navigation and load time; accessibility; appropriateness, and relevance.<br>
</i><br>By using semicolons to demarcate list items, commas can be used within list items to do their proper job.<br><br>One more nit picked - but it was an important nit. My work here is done.<br><br>-----<br><br>The Oxford Comma's Role in Preventing Ambiguity - actual examples, thanks to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma">Wikipedia</a>.<br>
<br>From a book dedication: To my parents, Ayn Rand and God. Quite different to "To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God."<br><br>From a documentary about Merle Haggard: Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.<br>
<br><br>--<br>Mark Kelly<br>Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area<br>McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253<br><a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: <a href="http://vceit.com">http://vceit.com</a><br>Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<br><br>--<br>Grammar for the 21st century...<br>Infinitive: I sync my phone.<br>Past tense: I sanc my phone.<br>
Past participle: I have sunc my phone.<br>
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