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Subject:Re: Information Mapping From:Brad Connatser <cwrites -at- USIT -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 29 Aug 1996 12:54:07 GMT
In article <01BB9416 -dot- 0E33FCA0 -at- tina -dot- envision -dot- com>, Bill Bledsoe
<bill -at- envision -dot- com> wrote:
> Brad,List,
> You're a bit off in your take on Chunking in Info Mapping. It has little
> to do with block labels, and transitions are some of the things that Info
> Mapping eliminates. Chunking, according to my handy Info Map cheat sheets
> is the following:
> "The grouping of information into small, manageable units."
> They further define a "manageable unit" as:
> "one consisting of no more than nine pieces of information"
> Their rationale is that research suggests people can best process and
> remember no more than seven, plus or minus two pieces (or units) of
> information at one time. They also note that as the complexity of the
> information increases, the chunking limit decreases.
> I have found this principle of Information Mapping probably the most useful
> in my work. Therefore, I thought I'd make sure it is clear with everyone
> in Techwr-L land.
Yes, I agree: That is what chunking means in information mapping. My point
is (if you read my post again): The "seven, plus or minus two pieces (or
units)" cannot be quantified in documents. I'm not near my library right
now, but later I'll post the reference for this magic number seven and
demonstrate how it cannot be applied to information mapping the way it is
being applied now. One thing to think about in the meantime: What
constitutes a "piece of information?" A letter? A word? A phrase? A
clause? A sentence? A paragraph?
Brad
--
Brad Connatser
Concurrent Communications
cwrites -at- usit -dot- net
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