Community Literacy of Ontario - Essentially Yours newsletter - June 2008 issue

June 2008

Essentially Yours

How “Hard” Can They Be?

Understanding ES Complexity Levels

Literacy practitioners should note that the ES complexity levels do not match directly to the LBS levels. As mentioned in other bulletins, the complexity levels are likely the most challenging part of understanding Essential Skills; however, the website has several links that will help to make the levels clearer. You can follow links on the ES site to pages that reference the topic directly, or you can follow links that illustrate task complexity levels through activities.

A well written introduction to the levels of complexity is linked from the Understanding Essential Skills (A) page. You may recall from page five of this bulletin that this explanation uses examples from ES profiles to illustrate how Essentials Skills are transferable and expandable, and that different occupations require basic to more complex use of the skills. It is important to remember that the demands of the task, and not the Essential Skills themselves, are rated, and that complexity can be influenced by a number of variables, including the length and purpose of the task (Writing), the length and type of text (Reading Text), and the risk level in failing (Oral Communications).

The Readers' Guide to Essential Skills Profiles provides the most detailed information about levels of complexity, covering concepts such as range of complexity and types of ratings. Once into the actual Essential Skills section, you will find levelled task examples, complexity rating tables, and explanations of exactly what aspect of the task is rated (e.g., the Document Use complexity rating scale applies to interpretation and entry of information in documents, not the creation of documents themselves).

Theory is great, and multiple intelligences theory suggests that learning occurs best when it happens over a wider range of pathways; therefore we suggest the following links that provide opportunities to learn about levels of complexity in ways that appeal to spatial and kinaesthetic learners.

Access the User Guide: Authentic Workplace Materials (F-1) by following the Authentic Workplace Materials (F) link on the list menu, and scroll down to the heading Theoretical Framework. Complexity Rating Scales (F-2) have been created for Reading Text, Document Use, and Writing to provide easy-to-read examples of what each level means in terms of demands of the task.

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