[nabs-l] stats course

[Mary Fernandez]

Hello All,
It is true that once you get deeper into stats most of your
calculations involve plugging things in and solving. My experience in
my introductory course however, did put a lot of emphasis on the
visual display of information. This is especially true when speaking
about  power and regression. For me, since it was my first exposure to
stats, because I did not take it in high school, I found it very
difficult to be able to visualize the graphs, and then duplicate them
in an exam. That's why I strongly advocate for the braille version.
But as I said before, I think it's a very personal choice. If you have
the option to try to get braille books, or simply do it with a reader,
than think about your past experiences and decide that way. But always
have a back up plan and be flexible. If, on the other hand, you have
absolutely no choice in the matter, than as Arielle pointed out, it is
completely possible to get through stats with no braille text. I'm
very old fashion and find it difficult to do complex math problems on
a braille note, since the braille display only shows one line at a
time. I still use my perkins for math. Smile. But that's just because
of my style of learning, and it works for me. Find something that
works for you, and stick with it. Also, if you are going to be using
SPSS or any other statistical software, I would start contacting the
tech people now, so they can install jaws and the java bridge. I've
found spss to be highly accessible when the java bridge is installed
properly. Most of the output  can pasted  to excel or word and jaws
will read all pertinent information. But if at all possible, try to
familiarize yourself with spss before the course begins since it takes
a little bit of practice to know where to find everything.

Sincerely,
Mary


On 4/3/10, Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
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>


-- 
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