Month: April 2010

The Mathematic e-Text Research Center (MeTRC) is a national research center conducting a systematic program of research over five years to investigate four research questions related to students with print disabilities in grades 4-9 in rural, suburban, and urban settings across the United States: (a) Which eText supports will increase access to mathematics content for students with disabilities?; (b) Which eText supports will promote academic achievement in mathematics for students with disabilities?; (c) What student characteristics influence the effectiveness of eText supports for learning mathematics by students with disabilities?; and (d) What contextual factors influence the effectiveness of eText supports for learning mathematics by students with disabilities?.

The research is conducted in collaboration with research teams across the country, each focusing on a specific student population, curriculum, or resource type. These strands of research include: (1) Curriculum Conversion and Implementation, investigating questions related to a full-scale conversion and implementation of an accessible general math curriculum at the middle school level; (2) Accessible Curriculum Online, designing and developing a curriculum with accessible and supportive eText features that meet the needs of 6th grade students with documented math learning disabilities; (3) Accessible Assessment, investigation into the effects of specific accessibility tools within an electronic assessment environment on students’ math performance in relationship to the key constructs; and (4) Accessible Algebra, developing and evaluating Instructional, Explanatory, Illustrative, and Presentational eText supports to assist students with disabilities in reading and learning from mathematical texts.