making maths accessible to all
TRANSCRIPT
Making Maths Accessible to All:STEMReader project
Accessible to all… but what does “Accessible” mean?When something is accessible, it means it’s usable by everyone (UK Government Digital Inclusion Strategy, 2014)
1. able to be reached or entered.2. able to be easily obtained or used.3. easily understood or appreciated.4. able to be reached, entered, or used by people who
have a disability“Assistive technology” = in this case technology that allows users to access content in different formats sometimes known as alternative/multiple formats.
Potential barriers to success
• Visually impaired students – 23,500 in FE• Specific learning difficulties – 161,300 in FE • Students with English as a second language
How large is the problem?– Apprenticeship success rate 4.4% lower for
dyslexia/dyscalculia; 5.1% for VI – differential increasing
– 61% of apprenticeships in business, health and engineering sectors
– Estimate 132 000 print disabled post-16 students studying STEM subjects
Do difficulties with reading impact maths learning?• Maths is a visual subject…. Learners with impaired
sight need additional support • But other students impacted by difficulties with
reading, with 10% of population estimated to be impacted by a SpLD– 55 000 GCSE candidates a year require reading
support; 100 000+ receive extra time– 161 000 students in FE with SpLD– 4% of HE student population receives support for
SpLD
Access Arrangements for qualifications
“Computer readers” (text to speech) are – allowed in all GCSEs, including English – candidates who qualify for a reader & it is their
usual way of working.Potential impact (Runshaw College, Learning Futures Project):
“Being offered a computer reader takes away the embarrassment, or the stigma, of requiring someone to sit with you in the exam to read the question.”“Using the software improved my mark. I got a grade C (in the mock exam) and I’ve never had a C on a paper before.”“Becoming an adult, I feel it has helped me to become more independent, preparing me for getting a job”
Runshaw College projectNumbers of students: GCSE English
No. of students overall who sat GCSE English reading paper, with grades ranging from X (no grade) to grade D.
478
No. of students who did not have an assessed difficulty with reading. 434
No. of students who had been assessed as having difficulties with reading
44(9%)
No. of students who used a computer reader in the GCSE English reading paper.
29(6%)
No. of students who did not have reading help in the GCSE English reading paper. 15
Runshaw College project
Percentage of students achieving a grade C
Students who did not have an assessed difficulty with reading.
51%
Students who used a computer reader in the GCSE English reading paper.
48%
Students who did not have reading help in the GCSE English reading paper.
27%
http://talkingtechnology.app.appery.io/
But reading assistance in maths is limited, why?
1. Symbols are not allowed to be read within exam arrangements
2. Lack of consistent & agreed approaches for reading aloud maths
Flickr: tkamenick CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Maths reading challenges…
How to create accessible maths
notation
Reading text and maths
How to read aloud maths
notation
STEMReader for Windows
ATbarGuidelines on reading aloud
maths
Web Accessibility Standards (WCAG)
National STEM accessibility resource
STEMReader projectDevelop a usable, sustainable tool for reading aloud maths notation to use alongside their current support strategies.Goals:• Improve solutions for reading aloud maths notation for
students studying from functional skills through to degree level maths and science
• Platform independent tool for rendering & speaking MathML with definitions and suitable reading rules
• User-centred design throughout user trials throughout development
• Due to launch May 2016
1. STEMReader• Read aloud maths
accurately but without overloading the user
• Highlight the equation as it is read
• Provide users with different options for speaking equations
• Investigating different ways of displaying the semantic relationships within the notation
2. Reading guidance on maths equations• Currently no guidance on reading aloud maths to
support learners in the UK (rules available for the US)• Reading aloud tests and exams - must consider
assessment criteria. Access arrangements state: “reader must not decode any symbols and unit abbreviations, e.g. should not be read as two squared, but the function simply pointed to by the reader. Part of the assessment is recognising what the superscript 2 means”
Guidelines for reading aloud maths notation: UK, level 2 maths
http://www.stemreader.org.uk/guidelines/
3. ATBar for reading assistance• Free browser toolbar for reading & accessibility
assistance• Developing free Windows version with:
– Computer reader / text to speech– Colour overlay– STEMReader integration
4. Accessible learning materials: Load2Learn
https://load2learn.org.uk/
Interested in trialling STEMReader & ATbar?
Abi James, Teresa Binks and E.A. DraffanUniversity of Southamptonhttp://www.slideshare.net/eadraffan/collaboration-to-enhance-digital-accessibility