Re: Audio Rendering of MathML

Hi,

I am interested to see the suggestion that equations are not 
usable when read linearly. I am currently researching this very 
area with regard to equation usage in e-learning systems 
particularly in bulletin boards and messaging systems. 

I have found little research (let me know if you know of some) 
in how students learn the language of mathematics as 
opposed to mathematics itself, and if it is if fact a linear 
process that they use when writing it down, it may be the 
MathML markup language is sufficient as this is what is learnt 
by students when  watching teachers write on OHPs / 
blackboards etc.

Lyn


On 9 Apr 2003, at 6:51, William F Hammond wrote:

> 
> [I suggest that follow-ups be directed to www-math@w3.org only.]
> 
> Al Gilman <asgilman@iamdigex.net> writes:
> 
> > Equations are not very usable when read linearly, even when
> > spoken by a live mathematician.  They must be regarded as
> > complex expressions rather than linear text.  Letting the user
> > walk the expression tree is the way for them to be able to get
> > their ears around the structure that is at hand.
> 
> Q1. Do you have text representations of examples of such
> expression
>     trees?
> 
> Q2. Do you think that content MathML is rich enough for this or
> do you
>     have something more in mind?
> 
> This issue is certainly related to issues surrounding the design
> of author-level markup, because for author-level markup to be
> sane for translation to content MathML it must expand to such an
> expression tree.
> 
> It will be a hard sell coaxing general authors to have new
> content up to this standard, given that the present is typified
> by PDF made from TeX/LaTeX source as found at arxiv.org.
> 
> In addition to the possibility of optimal non-visual rendering,
> however, authors may look forward to:
> 
>       1.  better online indexing of their articles.
> 
>       2.  better online searchability for their articles
>           (though few realize that searching TeX source for
>            math involves luck).
> 
>       3.  better interface between online article content
>           and mathematical software on a user's platform.
> 
> The road there still looks rather long because of the need for
> author markup that will be an attractive choice for authors who
> are now very happy with their smooth access through TeX/LaTeX to
> visually pleasing PDF.
> 
>                                 -- Bill
> 



----------------------------------

Researcher: Learning Technologies Research Group

email: l.leventhall@Kingston.ac.uk
tel: +44 (0) 20 8547 2000  ext: 62838
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address:

Mrs Lyn Leventhall
School of Computing and Information Systems
Faculty of Technology
Kingston University
Penrhyn Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT1 2EE
UK

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Received on Wednesday, 9 April 2003 09:42:15 UTC