Standard Expository Model - Essay Example

Q 3) What, in your judgment, are the most significant shortcomings of the standard expository model as a means to present extended text? In responding to this question, cite the theorist or commentator most closely associated with the shortcomings that you are take assert. If your answer includes a shortcoming that is original with you or is not mentioned in our course readings, just say so. You can also cite a theorist’s objection to the SEM and indicate that you disagree or partly disagree.

In Standard expository model, I think the most significant shortcoming is linear-structure from beginning to end. In addition, the dependency relationship is not explicitly expressed. Users should follow what writers want to express and the writer have their thoughts and the users are given no freedom to choose their topics and follow their own logical paths. Farkas said in his article, “Explicit Structure in Print and On-Screen Documents”, "Information Mapping, both observes display-unit boundaries and provides explicit structure at a much finer level of granularity than the SE model.

Two benefits are that readers can easily scan an IMAP document for the specific information they want and can immediately grasp the overall structure of the information map they are looking at." (Farkas, 17) And also Tracey said that "the SE model is inherently dysfunctional for all but literary writing and that both readers and those who write and edit documents benefit greatly by adopting STOP." In addition, the benefit of hypertext with nodes and links can be replaced with weakness of extended texts of standard expository model.

"There are important benefits in non-linear information environments: Readers are more able to find and read exactly what they care about. Furthermore, they are more fully empowered to follow their unique interests and make their own connections among ideas." (Farkas, 223) However, there also are theorists who object to the standard expository model. Montaigne and Chandler do not like schematic way of reading, for example, STOP documents and IMAP documents. Montaigne argues about the reason why time is limited while we are understanding articles.

Chandler agrees with Montaigne but he wants to have effective way to understand. Montaigne said "I must march my pen as I do my feet," and "Writing is a political activity, and it is a matter of choice for us whether we choose to challenge the prevailing writing conventions rather than to accept or bemoan them." I do not agree with them. For the genre of fiction and some other circumstances, we need to follow logical flow as they draw us from first to the end. But for the purpose of reading, we must choose our own way to read.

I want to skip information that I do not need. Especially, in these days with floods of information as this is an information era, people need to accept useful and important information quickly, more effectively like Tracey does divide information in terms of what really matters. Another shortcoming of standard expository model can be the existence of only one level heading for the whole page. The users and readers can feel problematic while going through information as it is not given in a logical manner.

In informational writing, a number of headings count to a greater understanding. The users are allowed to go through the writer’s intentional writing without his/her consent, which can be considered another disadvantageous impact of standard expository model. The user should have allowance to switch from one set of information to another according to his/her need and should not be restricted to go through even that what he/she has no intention to read at all.