[Blindmath] Visually Impaired Students Needed for Research Study

Fri Mar 13 15:25:24 UTC 2015

+1. Please note that the person who replied with the nasty post is not 
the person who is doing the study. I don't know what the heck happened 
there, but that was indeed rude.

On 3/13/2015 9:18 AM, Lynn Reed via Blindmath wrote:
> That is the most rude and hurtful response I have EVER seen on this blog. WTH???
> Why would someone that is not blind need a screen reader for math?? If you are not trying to help the blind then what are you doing on this blog??
>
> What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
> ----Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
>> On Mar 12, 2015, at 4:31 PM, Amanda Lacy via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Sorry, you don't qualify. You're blind, not visually impaired.<G>
>>
>>> On 3/12/15, Sabra Ewing via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> I am interested in this study. Right now, I do my math and computer braille.
>>> I either do it on my note taker so that I can read it, or I type it on the
>>> computer and I send it to my teachers. I also read my math that way too.
>>> They say my man when you're in awkward for them to read, but I like it that
>>> way, so I was thinking maybe a program like this would be able to produce
>>> mass that we could both enjoy reading. I do know Nimeth, But sometimes I
>>> have to look up a symbol if I don't know it because I don't think it's
>>> possible to know all of them and less you have taken the most advanced math
>>> courses. I am in calculus right now, and have started getting some
>>> electronic braille files that show up on my braille display that way, and I
>>> have been able to read them fine, but I did have to learn some new symbols
>>> because I had not  done things like take the derivative of a function before
>>> so I didn't know that symbol.
>>>
>>> Sabra Ewing
>>>
>>>> On Mar 12, 2015, at 1:50 PM, P. McDermott-Wells via Blindmath
>>>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What is the study about?
>>>> If you are a visually impaired student who knows Nemeth Braille, you are
>>>> invited to participate in a research study. A computer software program
>>>> is
>>>> being developed that will provide tools to assist visually impaired
>>>> students
>>>> in doing mathematics. This program will provide a Nemeth Braille editor
>>>> and
>>>> a real-time chat feature.  It will translate Nemeth Braille to MathML,
>>>> which
>>>> can be inserted into a Microsoft Word document. The chat feature will
>>>> allow
>>>> you to communicate real-time with a math instructor, by translating
>>>> Nemeth
>>>> Braille to MathML and back as you communicate. The goal of this study is
>>>> to
>>>> determine if this program will reduce the time required for a visually
>>>> impaired student to create math documents representing typical math
>>>> assignments encountered in high school or entry-level college mathematics
>>>> courses.
>>>>
>>>> When and where will this study occur?
>>>> We will schedule a test session with you at your convenience. You can
>>>> participate from home, and do not need to travel to the researcher's
>>>> location.
>>>>
>>>> Why are you asking me?
>>>> You have been invited because you have been identified as a visually
>>>> impaired university or high-school student who knows Nemeth Braille.
>>>>
>>>> What will I be doing if I agree to be in the study?
>>>> You will be given two sets of math problems typical of coursework found in
>>>> a
>>>> high school math course or an entry-level college math course, and asked
>>>> to
>>>> work through those problems.  For the first set, you will use your
>>>> current
>>>> methods to work the problems and produce results in a form that could be
>>>> submitted to a sighted instructor.
>>>>
>>>> You will need to tell us what tools and methods you normally do your math
>>>> homework, and you will need to measure the time it takes you to complete
>>>> the
>>>> first set of problems.
>>>>
>>>> For the second set, you will be asked to use a computer program that
>>>> allows
>>>> you to enter and edit Nemeth Braille math expressions and produce a
>>>> document
>>>> with your work in a form that could be submitted to a sighted instructor.
>>>> You will have the opportunity to utilize a real-time chat communication
>>>> feature that will give you access to a math instructor who will be able
>>>> to
>>>> help you solve the math problems as needed.
>>>>
>>>> You will need to spend some time practicing with the program to become
>>>> comfortable in its use prior to the study session.  We estimate that you
>>>> will need a minimum of 1 hour of use to become comfortable with its use.
>>>> You
>>>> will spend 60-90 minutes during the actual research study session using
>>>> this
>>>> program.
>>>>
>>>> We are NOT testing your math abilities!  We are testing to determine if
>>>> this
>>>> program will make it easier for you to produce your math work and/or to
>>>> get
>>>> instructor help when you need it.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any audio or video recording?
>>>> This research project will include audio and/or video recording of your
>>>> actions using the computer program. Your computer screen is what will be
>>>> video-recorded, and your voice will be audio-recorded during the test
>>>> session.  These audio and video recordings will be available to be heard
>>>> only by the research team.
>>>>
>>>> Will I get paid for being in the study?  Will it cost me anything?
>>>> There are no costs to you and there will be no payments made for
>>>> participating in this study. You will, however, have an opportunity to
>>>> obtain a copy of the final version of the software program for your use
>>>> when
>>>> it is released, at no charge to you.
>>>>
>>>> You will have to install on your computer the computer program we
>>>> provide,
>>>> and also install the free personal version of the TeamViewer software
>>>> program (http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx) that will allow the
>>>> researcher to watch your actions while using the program. You will also
>>>> need
>>>> to have a working microphone on your computer, or be able to use a
>>>> cellphone
>>>> during the study session.
>>>> I have some questions.
>>>>
>>>> If you would like to know more about this study, please contact the
>>>> researcher (contact information is at the end of this document).
>>>>
>>>> Researcher: Patricia McDermott-Wells, PhD student at Nova Southeastern
>>>> University
>>>> Telephone: 561-798-3940
>>>> Email: pmcdermo at nova.edu
>>>>
>>>>
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