[Blindmath] Visually Impaired Students Needed for Research Study

Fri Mar 13 17:22:49 UTC 2015

Hi, Richard, it may seem cold hearted of mr, but when my students bristle at the term Visually Impaired, I try to encourage them with this thought...whatever the title, what matters most is what you do despite the challenge, despite the term.

I used to be a teacher of the visually handicapped. Now I am a teacher if the visually impaired, and I often see the job listed as a teacher of people who have a visual impairment. Funny though, the job did not change.

Maureen Murphy Lewicki
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Bethlehem Central Schools
700 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, NY 12054
http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/

On Mar 13, 2015, at 1:14 PM, Wheatley, Richard via Blindmath <blindmath at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

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<mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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<mailto: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>
<mailto:derek.riemer at colorado.edu>
Phone: (303) 906-2194

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