A Cognitive Analysis of Equation Reading Applied to the Development of Assistive Technology for Visually - Impaired Students

A COGNITIVE ANALYSIS OF EQUATION READING APPLIED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR VISUALLY-IMPAIRED STUDENTS Paula Barraza1, Douglas J. Gillan1, Arthur Karshmer2, and Skye Pazuchanics1 New Mexico State University1 University of South Florida2 The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptual and cognitive processes involved in equation reading to apply that knowledge to the development of assistive technology for blind equation readers. The research used a process tracing observational study, three experiments, and an eyetracking study to examine several hypotheses about equation reading: people (1) read equations from left to right, one element at a time, (2) back scan when reading equations, (3) substitute the outcome of a parenthetical expression for the initial elements, and (4) scan the entire equation before element by element reading to create a schematic structure. The process tracing study provided evidence for all of the hypotheses, with the experiments supporting the first three hypotheses, but not the fourth. These results have been implemented in assistive software for visually-impaired users, the Math Genie --an auditory browser.