[Blindmath] Visually Impaired Students Needed for Research Study

Fri Mar 13 17:12:13 UTC 2015

An interesting point, I am registered as blind, and I used to hate the phrase"visually impaired" but over the last few years I have come to use it to describe myself more and more. Is there techniqually a difference? I always thought that blind was a subset of visual impairment. I just didn't like the sound of being impaired.
Best wishes
Richard 

-----Original Message-----
From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amanda Lacy via Blindmath
Sent: 13 March 2015 16:42
To: derek riemer; Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Visually Impaired Students Needed for Research Study

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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