CD-ROM Access
StudyWorks for Schools

Table of Contents
Product description
Screen magnification
Screen reader access
Recommendations for improvement
Details by assistive technology

Product description

StudyWorks for Schools, from MathSoft, is a tool for writing math and science. It is aimed at high school students and also includes a resource center with information and equations for many topics. Students can find examples in the library that match the problem they are trying to solve and replace the variables with their own numbers to find a solution. They can also write new equations, create graphs, and format lab reports.

Publisher: Mathsoft
Platform (Windows, Macintosh, Multi): Multi
Copyright: 1997
Grade level: Secondary
Subject: Math and Science
Intended use (reference, interaction, tool): Tool

Screen magnification

StudyWorks can be used effectively with a screen magnifier. The text quality is good and the user can set the font size as needed. Graphics magnify adequately, though the lines are somewhat light and broken at higher magnifications. The presence of many keyboard commands for entering and moving through text is helpful. A list of those commands is easily located using the index to the on- screen help. While the cursor is tracked appropriately when entering text and numbers from the keyboard, using the button palettes causes the focus to shift and the user must return it to the equation being entered. Tooltips on the palettes also cause some trouble because they pull focus off the button when they appear, making it difficult to choose a button. An option to disable or delay the tooltips would be useful.

Screen reader access

Use of StudyWorks with a screen reader is difficult for two major reasons: the math equations, which are the most important content, cannot be read, and navigation within the product is difficult. Reading equations with a screen reader is not yet possible in mainstream graphical software. Graphs and tables are similarly difficult to use. A solution to this will require the creation of standards for math, table, and graph presentation which allow screen readers to access the underlying data and present it in an effective way.

Navigation problems seem to result from the use of overlapping windows of different types. The Resource Center window has no menu bar and is therefore lacking an easily accessible set of controls. Switching between the document window and the resource window is only possible with mouse commands. In addition, some windows appear to ScreenPower to be lacking title bars, making them difficult to identify when navigating through the objects on the screen. A great deal of customization might resolve part of this problem, but better identified windows would be easier to work with.

Recommendations for improvement

Simpler navigation: As with most programs which use multiple windows to hold different types of material, StudyWorks could simplify navigation by offering keyboard or menu commands for switching windows. Additionally, ensuring that each window has an appropriate title will improve access for users of screen readers that read that information.

Improved help text: Another common problem seen here is the use of graphics of the keyboard keys in the Help files that list the keyboard commands. Help information on keyboard commands should include the name of each key and not just a graphic of the key. This would allow screen reader users to learn about these important keyboard commands.

Optional tooltips: The many button palettes give quick access to features for those who can use them, and tooltips that explain what each button does are useful. However, when tooltips appear they move the focus from the button to the tooltip. This moves the user's view away from the tooltip, if high magnification is in use, and makes it difficult to actually click the button. Software should allow the user to delay or disable the tool-tips for the button palettes as a user preference so that users can avoid this problem.

Consistent cursor tracking: Most GUI software would be improved by better tracking of custom cursors. This can be done by keeping the system cursor in the same location as the custom cursor at all times. (Note that MathSoft, developers of StudyWorks, have told us that they have corrected the cursor tracking in their underlying software engine, and that future versions of their software will correct this problem.)

Accessible mathematics: Until the problems with tables, equations, and graphs can be solved, it will not be possible to provide access for blind students to a program like StudyWorks. This is unfortunate because a tool like this could have many benefits for blind students who need to work with equations as they study math or science. These problems are industry-wide. Check out the possible solutions page for more information.

Details by assistive technology

Click the links below for details on how a specific piece of access technology performed with StudyWorks for Schools.

LPWindows version 6.1
inLARGE version 2.1
JAWS for Windows95 version 2.0
ScreenPower for Windows version 3.0 revision C
outSPOKEN for Macintosh version 1.7.5

LPWindows version 6.1

• StudyWorks works reasonably well under magnification. Features are accessible and text is usually quite good. The formatting options that allow the user to set a font size for text and for equations allow the visually impaired user to enlarge text in this way if desired. The program includes many key equivalents that can simplify use.
• Use of pop-up tool tips on the toolbars causes some problems with tracking the focus. It would be good to be able to disable or delay the tooltips.
• LPWindows is able to more effectively track program elements in the Windows version than is true for inLARGE on the Mac.
• When you are entering text with the keyboard, the magnifier can retain focus on the text entry point. However, if one uses a palette button, focus remains on the palette. It is then necessary to enter text or numbers and then move the pointer back to the focus.
• Graphical displays magnify reasonably well. Lines are somewhat broken and light.
• The introduction to the program is useful. The use of static screens for this eliminates the possible problems that video might have introduced.

inLARGE version 2.1

• StudyWorks works reasonably well under magnification. Features are accessible and text is usually adequate.
• The program includes many key equivalents that can simplify operation of the program for visually impaired users.
• The cursor or pointer is not tracked by inLARGE.

JAWS for Windows95 version 2.0

• The product cannot be used, largely because the screen reader cannot read the math formulas which are central to the product. Selecting and editing text and formulas is difficult to impossible. The inability of the screen reader to read math formulas in StudyWorks highlights the challenges of using a math-based CD-ROM with a screen reader.
• Navigating between parts of the product is also difficult. Minor changes to keyboard functions could probably solve the navigation difficulties, as could the addition of a standard menu bar to the Resource Center window, and placement in both windows of menu commands for switching windows.

ScreenPower for Windows version 3.0 revision C

• This product cannot be effectively used by a visually impaired individual using ScreenPower. Although the text explanations are readable, the values used in samples and exercises are unreadable.
• It is possible to label most objects.
• Numerous overlapping windows make navigation extremely difficult. It is very difficult to locate or even identify specific windows. The lack of actual text titles on some Study Works windows make this process even more difficult.
• Advanced customization and extensive labeling could greatly simplify navigation and improve orientation.

outSPOKEN for Macintosh version 1.7.5

• This product cannot be used independently for math and science work because all formulas, variables, graphs, and animations are inaccessible. Formulas are indicated only by a single symbol.
• Selecting blocks of text for editing is not consistent from the keyboard.
• Help and Search features are useful for locating reference materials, but those materials cannot be read when they involved formulas or graphics.

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