Error Analysis of Brailled Instructional Materials Produced by Public School Personnel in Texas

Abstract

In this study, a detailed error analysis was performed to determine if patterns of errors existed in braille transcriptions. The most frequently occurring errors were the insertion of letters or words that were not contained in the original print material; the incorrect usage of the emphasis indicator; and the incorrect formatting of titles, exercises, and directions.

Online Synchronous Professional Development to Support Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments in Learning Nemeth Code Within Unified English Braille Contexts

“…Even after direct instruction and access to the PowerPoint slides containing information and examples, none of the 17 teachers produced an error-free transcription of a worksheet containing a title and 12 math problems typical of content in grades 6 to 12. These data are similar to previous research that examined the accuracy of literary materials (Herzberg, 2010) and math materials (Herzberg & Rosenblum, 2014). For example, frequently occurring errors in this study and both previous studies were correctly formatting numbered problems, omitting words, and misconfiguring braille symbols.…”

“…Accurate formatting allows individuals who read Braille to easily and quickly navigate documents (BANA, 2016; Herzberg, 2010). Only 3 of the 17 participants formatted all elements of the worksheet correctly, and more than half (n = 9) had an error rate higher than 25%.…”

“…The topics covered in the professional development corresponded to mathematics content covered in the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) in grades 6–12. From the authors’ professional experiences, many teachers of students with visual impairments seek resources to assist them in preparing secondary mathematics instructional materials and teaching Nemeth Code symbols to secondary students.…”

“…Thus, students who read braille must have support from well-prepared and knowledgeable teachers of students with visual impairments who can provide accurate and tactually clear braille materials in a timely manner. However, accuracy of braille materials varies, depending on training and expertise of the individual who prepares the materials (Bell & Silverman, 2019; Herzberg, 2010; Herzberg & Rosenblum, 2014).…”