Exercises in Evaluating Word Density in Slides

1. Exercises in Evaluating Word Density in Slides The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication ENGINEERING SERIES

2. Instructions • Read each slide and pay attention to the next yellow “Instructions” slide. • Answer the questions on the yellow instructions slides. As your instructor directs, discuss your answers with another student. • Try to develop a sense of standards for • what is easily read, • what supports the main point, and • how density affects readability.

3. Introduction • Project assigned to examine a common flue gas desulfurization technique for coal-fired power plants • Look at regulations that make these techniques necessary; some background on the industry; possible energy conservation techniques; and cost analysis of keeping one such plant supplied

4. Instructions • What makes this slide easy or hard to read? • When you read the first bullet point, did you at first think you were reading a sentence? Did you have to re-read bullet one? • How did having several questions in one bullet point (2nd bullet) affect your reading process? • What names would you give to the kinds of text density you’ve seen on the previous slide?

5. SO2 Emissions (1980 - 2003) • In 2003, SO2 emissions were at 10.6 million tons, about 38% of 1980 levels • Recent increase due to the increase in electricity production by coal and oil-fired plants • Lowered natural gas production because of rising prices

6. Instructions • Why were some of the columns broken into blue and white while others were yellow? • Did the text points help you understand the color differences? • How much of the data contained on the graph supported the text points? • What was the main point about emissions? • What kinds of density and what points about density will you remember based on this slide?

7. So how much are we talking? • SO2 emissions must be: • 520 ng SO2/J (1.2 lb SO2/million Btu) heat input and 10 percent of the potential combustion concentration (90% reduction) OR • 30 percent of the potential combustion concentration (70% reduction) when emissions are less than 260 ng/J (0.6 lb/million Btu) • Plants can purchase “allowances” that permit them to exceed ordinary limits -- for a hefty fee

8. Instructions • What was your first interpretation of the title? How did the colloquial phrase affect you? What did it mean in this context? • When did you first realize that the two indented bullet points were alternatives? What was the most important clue? • What did “must be” in the first bullet point seem to mean when you first read it? • What general point would you make about text density in subordinate bullet points, based on your reactions to this slide?

9. Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program • Cofunded by government and industry • Seeks to demonstrate and deploy advanced clean coal technologies that meet strict government standards • “Clean coal” -- end aim is to develop technologies that not only suppress a few emission gasses (such as the SO2 and NOx mentioned previously), but form a process that is entirely emissions free

10. Instructions • What makes it harder or easier to read the text on this slide? • Which of your “rules of the road” for text density does this slide appear to obey? • Which ones does it defy? • Is text density more of a problem of number of words or of amount of blank space able to indicate groupings?

11. Wet Calcium-based sorbent in slurry Gas reacts with Ca Byproducts are both solids + liquids Dry or Semidry Injection of dry solid (limestone) or slurry Gas reacts with Ca Byproducts are solids Flue Gas Desulfurization

12. Instructions • What overall point is this slide making about flue gas desulfurization? • What helps or hinders your understanding of the supporting points? • Is it harder to understand the title if the bullet items aren’t parallel in structure?

13. Wet High degree of SO2 removal High sorbent utilization/contact between solids and liquids Excellent particulate removal Dry / Semidry Lower degree of SO2 removal Less sites of reaction Good degree of particulate removal FGD comparison

14. Instructions • Could you make this comparison into a table? If so, what would it look like? • In what ways does the positioning of the text in each column affect your ability to comprehend the slide? • What rules would you infer about positioning text and amount of text in comparisons?

15. Power Generation System Steam, 24.1 MPa, 540°C Turbines 500 MWe Boiler 27.5% Liquid 6.55 kPa Condenser Cooling Water 25°C Cooling Water 28°C Saturated Condensate, 38°C

16. Instructions • Where did your eyes go first when you looked at the diagram? • Why did they position the Power Generation System diagram here? • Were you glad to see a diagram after several text slides or did variety in the slides make no difference? Why? • What point is the power generation system diagram making or supporting here?

17. Results • SO2 emissions reduced by 45 tons/y • In fifth year, cost is $5 million per ton SO2 • Switch to fluorescents pays for itself in 7 years (assuming constant energy cost) • Resistance to switching to fluorescents • “Warmer” color of incandescent bulbs • Time required to replace fixtures • Other conservation methods should be implemented • Reducing overall energy usage

18. Instructions • In what sense did you read “Results”? Results of what? • Without looking back, how many bullet points were in the list of “results”? • How many bullet points would usually be the maximum number for easy viewing and comprehension?

19. Conclusion • Reducing acid rain requires controlling SO2 emissions • EPA regulations and other initiatives work to minimize emissions • Implementing wet flue gas desulfurization methods reduces SO2 emissions • Coal transportation is the major operating expense, as far as raw materials go • Fluorescent bulbs cheaper and greener in the long run • Multiple methods are needed for reducing SO2 emissions

20. Instructions • Why does the designer add the phrase “as far as raw materials go” in the following phrase: • Coal transportation is the major operating expense, as far as raw materials go • Are the conclusions memorable? • How many can you name without looking back? • The title says only “Conclusion.” Did you take that to mean the conclusion of the study or of the plural conclusions in the list? • Do you feel rewarded for reading these slides? Were they interesting to view? Would you be willing to read the slides again? • What are your “take away” thoughts now about the phrases, “text density” or “ideas/ink ratio”?

21. Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication • More resources are available for you • under “Engineering Communication” at Connexions at http://cnx.org • at the Cain Project site at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj • in your course Communication Folder in OWLSPACE.