[Blindmath] Visually Impaired Students Needed for Research Study

Fri Mar 13 16:41:41 UTC 2015

It was a joke, geez.

I'm blind, not visually impaired. I've never been visually impaired,
so the language the researcher used felt like it excluded me. I
thought I was pointing out the obvious.

Also, Sabra is a friend of mine. She didn't think my message was sent
by the researcher. She may have found it annoying, but not hurtful.

Lighten up, folks.

Amanda Lacy

On 3/13/15, derek riemer via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> +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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>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>     Derek Riemer
>
> Department of Computer science Undergrad, proud CILA member, music
> lover, avid skier, and much more.
>
> "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed
> until it is faced." - James Baldwin
>
> email me at derek.riemer at colorado.edu <mailto:derek.riemer at colorado.edu>
> Phone: (303) 906-2194
>
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