[nabs-l] stats course

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,

I've taken four semesters of stats (two undergraduate and two
graduate-level). Although I love Braille and use it often, I couldn't
get it from my school. When I took Intro stats, I used an E-text copy
of the textbook, which I read on my Braille Note. This was helpful
except that some symbols and formulas didn't transcribe properly in
E-text, so some symbols showed up as spaces instead of the actual
symbol. I needed to use a reader to disentangle these.

When I took my second stats course, it was my last semester of college
and I decided that I was tired of vying with my DSS office for control
over my academic life. So, instead of requesting the book from them, I
ordered it from RFB&D. The book we used was an 1989 edition, so I
received the book on audiocassette (the old analog cassettes). Yes,
this was a pain, but it actually worked out much better than I feared.
The RFB readers were great and read all the formulas and equations
clearly. I would listen to the tape and then immediately write down
any relevant formulas on my Braille Note. When I worked homework
problems out of the book, I would write down the entire problem on my
Braille Note, turn off the tape and work it out. The only thing that
was a little tricky was getting access to the tables of critical
values in the back of the book. However, I solved this by finding the
relevant tables online, which has been a good ongoing solution as I
continue to use stats in my graduate career.

When I took stats at the graduate level we had a textbook, but it
wasn't required and was basically just a repeat of the lectures (our
teachers authored the textbook). So I learned the material entirely by
lecture and did the homework assignments electronically (these were
posted online for all students). Again, it was very helpful to be able
to write down what I heard in lecture on my Braille Note to refer back
to later.

In sum, I would say that Braille texts are nice but not necessary. If
you don't have a Braille text, a good Braille notetaker that you can
use to take detailed notes on what you hear from class, audio text, or
a reader is very helpful. I have been able to refer back to the notes
I took in intro stats from five years ago and be able to use them as a
refresher when I tutor intro.

I personally don't think graphs are very important in mastering
statistics. Sighted students love them, and they provide some good
conceptual clarification at the beginning, but once you get into it,
it's really just about plugging numbers into the appropriate formula
and then comparing what you get to a criterion. Once you get past a
certain point, much of your calculations will be done on the computer,
and you will simply need to know what to put into the calculation and
how to interpret the output that the computer program gives you. I
certainly wouldn't discourage exploring tactile graphing options if
you are someone who prefers to learn that way, but I don't think
accessing the graphs is a necessary part of learning the material. If
you are confused by a particular concept, setting up a few
appointments with your professor, TA, or a tutor is likely to get you
far. Remember that teaching assistants, especially for stats, are
there specifically to help students in a more one-on-one manner.

Feel free to write me privately if you have additional questions, or
if you would like to learn more about the solutions I've found for
handling stats calculations on the computer.

Arielle

On 4/3/10, Mary Fernandez <trillian551 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Serena,
> I happen to be a very hands on learner. I like to read my math books,
> especially with stats. Math has been my weakest subject historically
> speaking, and when it comes to the graphics and such it is helpful to
> be able to see them. However, transcribing them into braille is costly
> and it toally depends on your school whether they braille it or not.
> Honestly, it comes down to how comfortable you are in math and having
> someone just read these things to you. If it's any help, I will not be
> needing my stts text and it's in braille. I could send it to you if
> you want it. It's called comprehending behavioral statistics by
> hurlbert. It is leaning towards stats as applied in the social
> science, so I'm not sure how much it will help. For anyone else
> reading this post, if you need a stats braille book, let me know. I
> will not be throwing it out since it took a lot of fighting for me to
> get it.
> Hope this helps.
> Mary
>
>
> --
> Mary Fernandez
> Emory University 2012
> P.O. Box 123056
> Atlanta Ga.
> 30322
> Phone: 732-857-7004
> In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
> greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
> President Barack Obama
>
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-- 
Arielle Silverman
President, National Association of Blind Students
Phone:  602-502-2255
Email:
nabs.president at gmail.com
Website:
www.nabslink.org