[Athen] Vertual Pencil

[Gaeir Dietrich]

Hi Robert!

One of my biggest complaints about Virtual Pencil is that it does not allow
one to import equations from other math creation program and it is
nonintuitive for setting up the equations. I recommend it in some cases for
non-technical students to do their own work, but it is not friendly for the
alternate media specialist.

If the student is at all technical, I would look into the solutions Sean
suggests--much easier to create the equations for.

******************************************************
Gaeir (rhymes with "fire") Dietrich
High Tech Center Training Unit of the
California Community Colleges
De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
www.htctu.net
408-996-6043

-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Beach
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 9:33 AM
To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network
Subject: [Athen] Vertual Pencil

Hi all,

I've been asked by a person not on the list about Vertual Pencil.  We
haven't used it here and I only know one institution that has checked it
out.  I was wondering if anybody else has used it and what kind of
results you've had.

This university is looking for some options for a blind student to take
algebra.  The instructor is the one who is talking with me, which I find
encouraging.  The institution seems to be willing to purchase the
technology, but they just want to have some good input on what may or
may not work.  I guess one question is can the instructor create the
test in Word (or some word processing tool) and pull it into Vertual
Pencil or will she have to completely recreate it in VP each time?

The student is totally blind, but had sight before.  The instructor
assumes that since the student lost sight as an adult that he probably
knows all the print characters and numbers.  She is looking at possibly
doing some raised line work as well.

Anyway, we're mainly wondering about Vertual Pencil so any feedback
would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!



Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS  66112
Phone:  (913) 288-7671
Fax: (913) 288-7678
E-mail:  rbeach at kckcc.edu

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