One approach to analyzing the complexity of the parameters
of educational textbooks
N.K. Krioni
Department of Computer Science and Robotics
Ufa State Aviation Technical University
Ufa, Russia
A.D. Nikin
Department of Computer Science and Robotics
Ufa State Aviation Technical University
Ufa, Russia
e-mail: nikin@ugatu.ac.ru
A.V. Filippova
Department of Computer Science and Robotics
Ufa State Aviation Technical University
Ufa, Russia
e-mail: afilippova04@ya.ru
Abstract1
In the article the authors describe the stages of
constructing a model of evaluation parameters of
educational textbooks, methods of analyzing the
difficulty of text perception, and stages of building
a software product. The product is designed to
conduct research on the analysis of the complexity
of the parameters that affect the difficulty of the
perception of educational textbooks.
1. Introduction
Educational textbooks have always been and remain a
major means of learning. They should be well made for
understanding by students of any level of readiness.
Speaking about intelligibility, is meant that after reading
is formed an image of contents, which is close to author’s
plan. Text intelligibility is connected with difficulty of its
perception. J. Mick [2] called the properties of the text,
that affect the difficulty of perception, as components of
complexity. Components of the complexity of the text
include: informativity of the text, complexity of language
structure, clarity of text, abstractiveness of the
interpretation, unity of text, and others. The objective
analysis of components of educational text and further
improvement of the text on the basis of the assessments
would contribute to the important and urgent tasks improving its understanding and, consequently, improve
the quality of education.
The article reviews the stages of building a software
product for measuring the parameters of the complexity
of the text and building a model that describes the impact
of the three parameters (informativity, abstractiveness of
Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on
Computer Science and Information Technologies
CSIT’2008, Antalya, Turkey, 2008
the interpretation, the complexity of language structure)
to the difficulty of text perception.
For undertaking the study on analysis of the complexities
of educational texts, it is necessary to develop a tool for
analyzing the complexity of the text settings. The authors
was brought forth the hypothesis of the possibility of
formalizations of searching for definitions in Russianlanguage text, which amount raises the informativity of
the text, abstract concepts and a number of linguistic
structures which complicate the text. The developed
algorithms, which formalize the search, had been carried
out in the generated product.
2. Stages of the development of the algorithm
The development of algorithm of searching and
calculating the parameters that affect the perception of the
text, were set up tables of diagnostic features for each of
the parameters of complexity. Informativity of the text is
characterized by amount of semantic information and
amount of the new information for readers [6]. The form
of the presentation of the text (functional-semantic type of
the text) can be different: definition, description,
narration, proof, etc.
Informataivity of the text in the program was estimated by
quantity of new definitions in the text. For educational
text an introduction of new definitions, directed on
expansion of the reader’s image of concepts, is typical. In
most cases definition is entered by classical form of the
logical determination.
Developed software, on the basis of corresponding
diagnosing signs, full enough searches for definitions; by
the results of testing on the of texts with 15 000 symbols,
with spaces, the program has allocated 90% of
definitions.
Except informativity, complexity of understanding is also
affected by abstractive interpretation of the contents of
Workshop on Computer Science and Information Technologies CSIT’2008, Antalya, Turkey, 2008
1
the text and complexity of linguistic design, according to
a number of researchers [2].
For an estimation of the abstraction of statements there is
usually some words of text are adopted, which are
referring to abstract semantic objects, that is, objects that
are not immediately available for sensual perception, for
example, the discovery, value, etc. J.A.Mick believed that
the greater proportion of abstract words in the text, the
more difficult is he. Created software, on the basis of
relevant diagnostic tables [16], sufficiently searches for
abstract words. According to the results of testing, the
program in 97% of the cases accurately identified the
abstract words, which give an indication of the reliability
of the results of the program.
Complexities of perception of the text are influenced by a
considerable quantity of difficult linguistic designs.
The program, on the basis of diagnosing signs of
compound sentences [1], allows analyze the «complexity
linguistic text designs» parameter. It is believed, that the
more complex linguistic structures in the text, the harder
is the text to read.
1 stage – selection of the text. As for texts, for which
will build the model, were selected texts on
philosophy. Discipline «Philosophy» is studied by
students of all universities in Russia.

2 stage – methods of measurements. As a method of
measurement of difficulty of the text the method of
an estimation of difficulty on percent of incorrectly
filled and blank admissions in relation to correctly
filled has been chosen.

3 stage – the Tool. For construction of model of an
estimation of complexity of parameters of the text,
the software product for estimation has been
developed, as described above;

4 stage – for carrying out of research about influence
of parameters of complexity of the text on difficulty
of its perception, an linear regression model has been
chosen. As for the parameters, which influence on
difficulty of the text, there was chosen an
informativity, abstraction of statements, and the
complexity of linguistic structures
3. Conclusions
2.1. Software development
Borland Delphi 6.0 (application package) has been
selected as a tool. The developed program assumes
processing and the further analysis of the text written in a
natural language. For work with a natural language the
morphological dictionary [3] has been used.
After working out of the tool of the analysis of
complexity of parameters of educational texts, it is
necessary to describe stages of construction of model of
an estimation of complexity of parameters of educational
texts.
2.2. Stages of construction of model
There are known methods of an estimation of parameters
of complexity of educational texts on Estonian [2],
English [5] and Russian [4] languages on the models,
considering only one component of complexity –
complexity of linguistic designs.
However, the authors don’t know the methods of
assessing of parameters of complexity for Russianlanguage educational textbooks, which take into account
the diverse characteristics of the properties of the text,
such as abstraction of statement, informativity of text, etc.
In the present work the model of an estimation of
complexity of parameters of the text is offered. In the
simplified record, the model has the following
appearance:
T  f ( Inf , Abs _ s, SS ) ,

(1)
where T - the difficulty of text perception, Inf –
informativity of the text, Abs_s - abstraction of statement,
SS – complexity of linguistic structures.
A model of an estimation of complexity of parameters of
the text was developed.
A software – tool for automated search of parameters of
complexity, their calculation and the automated analysis –
was developed.
From the results of analysis of developed model is drawn
a conclusion, that basically the estimation of difficulty of
educational texts on philosophy
is influenced by
presence of the big percent of abstract words in the text in
relation to total of words in the text, and percent of
compound sentences in relation to total of sentences in
the text
References
1. Krioni N.K., Nikin A.D., Filippova A.V. “Automated
assessment of the complexity of educational
textbooks”. The technology and training. UGATU,
Ufa, 2007, pp. 164-165.
2. Mikk Ya.A. “Optimizing the complexity of school
text: To help authors and editors”. Education,
Moscow, 1981.
3. Morphological dictionary // Internet [electronic
resource]: http://www.aot.ru
4. Novikov A.I. “The semantics of the text and its
perfection”. Science, Moscow, 1983. // Internet
[electronic resource]: http://www.auditorium.ru/
5. Rays K. “Classification of texts and methods of
transfer”
//
Internet
[electronic
resource]:
http://www.philology.ru/
6. Sohor A.M. “The logical structure of teaching
material”. Pedagogy, Moscow, 1974.
One approach to analyzing the complexity of the parameters of educational textbooks
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