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Harnessing the Power of Technology to Support Mathematics: Challenges, Solutions & The Future

Harnessing the Power of Technology to Support Mathematics: Challenges, Solutions & The Future. Dr Abi James Assistive Technology Consultant iansyst. The Challenges: Understanding & recognition of the student's difficulties . Science related subject.

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Harnessing the Power of Technology to Support Mathematics: Challenges, Solutions & The Future

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  1. Harnessing the Power of Technology to Support Mathematics: Challenges, Solutions & The Future Dr Abi James Assistive Technology Consultant iansyst

  2. The Challenges: Understanding & recognition of the student's difficulties

  3. Science related subject How many student's with SpLD are studying math or science?

  4. How many student's with SpLD are studying math or science? Science related subject

  5. Other factors to consider • Identifying students who will struggle with the course requirements • Understanding by students of the requirements of the course • Departmental & Institutional change required • Use of technology, the web and different teaching styles

  6. Learning Environment… Is varied for science students • Lectures • Tutorials • Lab sessions • Computer lab sessions • In the field • Work placements • E-learning • Library

  7. Need… • Support for note taking • For specialist language • Diagrams, equations & mathematical notation • Support for proof-reading • For specialist language • Diagrams, equations & mathematical notation • Support for understanding & visualising mathematical concepts in an accessible format

  8. The Challenges: Mathematical and scientific language

  9. Mathematical Language… • Needs to be learned and manipulated by scientists, engineers & mathematicians. • Symbols & expressions must be accurately recalled during lectures, exams, lab sessions & assignments. • Support through technology does not bypass this knowledge requirement.

  10. The Challenges: Integrating with existing technology

  11. High user of technology • Many science students will be required to use computers & technology as part of their course • Each course and department may use different systems • Making each system and program accessible is challenging!

  12. Technology Solutions

  13. Existing Solutions… support with specialist language • Spellex adds subject specific terminology into MS Word’s available for medical, pharmaceutical, legal, biotech, botanical, technical, geographical • Wordbar provides a word bank for quickly entering phrases or keystrokes

  14. Existing Solutions… support with specialist language But… • Most resources have to be created for re-created for each student or course. • They can not handle symbols or equations

  15. Existing solutions…for note taking • Need tools for digital storing of equations and graphics. • Audio recordings do not work on there own. • Tablet PCs, Webcams & digital cameras may provide solutions • Word 2007 greatly improved equation entry

  16. Existing solutions for note taking: Tablet PCs Windows XP plus ink facilities to write on screen. Enables users to: • Annotate Office documents • Draw on screen • Select, copy, paste & highlight using pen • Convert handwriting to text • Convert hand written equations to text!

  17. Tablet PC software • Equation Writer (part of MS Education pack) converts handwritten equation to text via clipboard. • Maths Journal 2 (www.xthink.com) evaluates & converts hand written formula. Saves as Tex or MathML. • OneNote will be included with Office 2007 Student Edition • WriteOn lets you annotate over any application

  18. Microsoft OneNote

  19. Existing solutions…for supporting writing MathTalk with Dragon NaturallySpeaking & Scientific Notebook enables scientific notation to be dictated. • Good for writing reports but not note taking • User needs to be fluent in terminology and symbols • Suits auditory learners and disadvantages visual learners

  20. Existing solutions…for supporting reading & writing • PDF or postscript file currently used by academics from LaTeX • OCR software don’t recognise equations • Can convert from digital photos and screen captures. • Recognise some programming languages • Equations can be read aloud if in MathML format – a version of html.

  21. Need… • Academic staff to produce notes & worksheets in an accessible format • Currently produce PDF files • Can be made accessible using PDF Accessibility Editor but time consuming • Create html files with MathML equations – accessible to all.

  22. The future… • Digital cameras, webcams & mobile devices • Office 2007

  23. Abi James Iansyst Fen House Fen Road Cambridge CB4 1UN Email: abi@dyslexic.com Tel: 01223 420101 Web: www.dyslexic.com www.iansyst.co.uk www.itspc.co.uk Contact details:

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