MeTRC Research
MeTRC has five research projects currently underway. Each research project is designed to identify, develop, and evaluate the use of supported eText for a specific topic or educational process.
MeTRC Research Teams:
Curriculum Conversion and Implementation
Preston Lewis, University of Kentucky
Accessible Curriculum Online
Lindy Crawford, Texas Christian University
Accessible Assessment
Michael Russell, Measured Progress
Accessible Middle School Algebra
Mark Horney, University of Oregon
Accessible Computer Algebra System
Emily C. Bouck, Purdue University
Related Questions
- How can mathematical text be made accessible to students with print disabilities?
- How can the readability of a mathematical text be measured?
- What role does vocabulary play in learning mathematics?
- How are textbooks used in teaching and learning mathematics?
- How does text complexity influence math comprehension and learning outcomes?
White House Honors Two from MeTRC Community
On May 7, 2012, two members of the MeTRC community, George Kerscher and Steve Jacobs, were among 14 individuals chosen by the White House as Champions of Change for leading the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math for people with disabilities in education and employment.
George Kerscher is a member of MeTRC's Technical Work Group, and is Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium and President of the International Digital Publishing Forum.
Steve Jacobs is a consultant to MeTRC in the area of Accessibility Products and Tools, and is president of IDEAL Group, Inc.
Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy said:
“STEM is vital to America’s future in education and employment, so equal access for people with disabilities is imperative, as they can contribute to and benefit from STEM. The leaders we’ve selected as Champions of Change are proving that when the playing field is level, people with disabilities can excel in STEM, develop new products, create scientific inventions, open successful businesses, and contribute equally to the economic and educational future of our country.”
The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.
DIAGRAM Report on 2012 CSUN Conference
Special thanks to Anh Bui, Sr. Manager, DIAGRAM Center, Benetech for this report
The 27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference was held in San Diego, CA between February 27- March 3, 2012. Here is a brief recap of some DIAGRAM-related events.
Covered in this report are the Birds-of-a-Feather session on Accessibility of Charts and Graphs, the Content Model and epub:describedAt attribute session and discussion, and the session on Bookshare and DIAGRAM.
National Report Card: Students Score Modestly Better in Math
This report presents results of the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics at grades 4 and 8. Highlights of the national results show higher average mathematics scores in 2011 than in the eight earlier assessment years at both grades 4 and 8. Read more
Free book on math education by MeTRC author
MeTRC consultant David Moursund and co-author Robert Albrecht are pleased to announce that their math education book described below is now available free on the Web.
Cyberlearning Research Summit
The NSF Cyberlearning Research Summit took place in Washington, DC on January 18, 2012. The summit was a high-profile gathering of top quality research-based speakers who shared their visions for the future of learning with emerging technologies. MeTRC TWG member, Philip Piety attended the invitation-only event. Speakers included Karen Cator the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education.
About MeTRC
MeTRC's mission is to learn how the printed materials used by teachers and students in mathematics classrooms can be converted into electronic forms, and how the increased capabilities in the form, function, and content enabled by this conversion, might increase access to mathematics, and improve student learning and achievement. We're especially concerned with how such "eTexts" will impact students with learning or visual disabilities.
Read more...Conceptual Framework
What is Supported Text?
Supported Electronic Text is a form of hypertext applied to instructional materials in ways designed to increase reading comprehension and to promote content-area learning. Read more...
A Typology of Supported eText
Eleven categories of supported eText resources have been defined that may be used to support a specific source text, depending on the characteristics of that text, the characteristics of the student(s) using the text, and the requirements of the specific reading or learning task that the student is undertaking. Read more...
Supported eText in Mathematics
View an example of how eText resources may be used to support mathematics. Read more...