Lindy Walton
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The purpose of the circles is for students with pencils to fill in the answer choice bubble. In the work I do for individuals in a school setting, I have always been asked to replace the circles with letters a b c d using the same style of punctuation as is used for the numbered problems, in this case a single closing parenthesis. I have also seen this done on standardized tests. However it gets to be a problem when the layout on the print page does not arrange the answer choices vertically. With this type of layout, it is not clear which item is b) and which is c):
o wood o paper
o glass o pencil
If you choose this method, you need to be consistent with your lettering and state how you are doing this in the notes to the teacher (in print) so the student's answers b) or c) are not graded incorrectly by the teacher.
If you use a 2-cell dash, as Braille Formats suggests (see below) the braille reader can mark their answer choice with a pencil.
I am not the Braille Formats expert, but let's look at Section 10 "Exercise Material."
BF 10.4.4 says "All answer choices are listed vertically and begin in the same cell."
We do the same in a Nemeth transcription, following the Nemeth Code.BF 10.4.4.b says this: "It is necessary to make a judgment call when answer choices are unnumbered/unlettered, and there is no discernible order. Be consistent once it has been decided to list items in horizontal or vertical order." Sample 10-2 illustrates this--these answer choices do NOT have any identifiers or circle bubbles. The braille copy does not add anything.
Now I'm looking in Section 20 "Tests."
20.4.4 Answer Choices
a. The vertical or horizontal print arrangement of answer choices may be important and affect grading. The requesting agency should decide if items are listed in horizontal or vertical order.b. When not advised by the requesting agency, the transcriber lists answer choices vertically in a single column, whether the answer choices are in a single column or in multiple columns.
d. Print may show a circle or other symbol to be filled in by the student. This symbol typically is not included. Use a dash before the question when an agency requests that the symbol be indicated.
Example 20-4 shows a 2-cell dash followed by a space. Note the order of answer choices.
PART 2 OF YOUR QUESTION: If the identifiers are printed inside of a circle you can braille them simply as numerals or letters, ignoring the circle. In a math context this can be confusing so I generally braille such identifiers inside of parentheses. Of course you would state this treatment in a TN at the beginning of the volume. I'm not finding any guidelines about this in Braille Formats, but maybe it would be a good idea to post this question to that topic expert.
Your graphics should follow the rules of Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics 2011. I find no comment there other than the usual 3 blank cells before the page number on line 25.
Hi Susan. I will try to address your comments. Let me know if you have further questions.
As with any transcription, your consistency in formatting will result in a layout that makes the reading flow. Simbraille examples are usually taken out of context so you can place them as they fit in YOUR transcription.
EXAMPLE can be a cell-5 or cell-7 heading. I see the orange example as a separate item, not as displayed material, which is why I started at the margin. I was not following an established Nemeth format from the codebook.
I don't know what "Guideline 10" is. Are you referring to Braille Formats? In exercise material, BF 10.8.4 tells us to format examples in the same way as the following questions. If items on page 4 of your book show a format that will apply nicely to this example, you could format it that way instead.
Hi Lindy,
Can you tell me the format you used when you created the braille example?
What mean is were you using the word Addition as a cell one (as if it were an itemized problem) with the spatial expanded problem starting in cell three as a runover or displayed material? I liked your format, I was just trying to make sure I was using it correctly for continued problems like this. Also, would you put the word "EXAMPLE" which is off to the side as a cell 5 heading to the word Addition, (then later subtraction, etc.)? And then, in Guideline 10, it looked like the heading Example is also placed in cell 1 right above the example problem. I am getting a little confused. Any clarification you can give, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks,
SusanThis is an interesting question and one I have heard from others, too. I am glad you brought it up.
BF 4.3.8 actually says this: "Use the period, rather than the decimal point, when a period appears between a letter and a number." The BF example shows "A.4" which is a numeral following a letter, but the rule itself doesn't say what to do when a letter follows a numeral like your example shows -- 1.a -- S8CS1.a
The Nemeth Code, however, is clear regarding a numeral following a letter. Use the multi-purpose indicator as shown in NC Sec.177.ii.
Hi Julie. I can't say I have ever seen a number line like these, where there is an additional arrowhead printed on the line. Does anyone else have experience with these?
Since distinctive coordinate markers which are superposed on a number line are moved to the line above, directly over the scale marks they cover, I suggest brailling a one-cell arrowhead (right- or left- pointing) above the appropriate location as you would any of the other markers we are given in TG 6.5.1.4.
Follow Braille Formats regarding the construction of the table, but follow Nemeth Code rules for items within the table. A blank space that means "information is missing" is brailled as a Nemeth general omission symbol, a printed dash is brailled as a long dash. Since Nemeth Code does not provide for blank space meaning "no data," follow Braille Formats for that (dot 5s.)
I'm weighing in with another alternative. It would be possible to do 8 x 6 in a literary transcription
just using the multiplication sign provided in an Appendix to the Guidelines. They are included so that for simple expressions the
Nemeth open and close indicators would not be necessary. You would of course use upper cell numbers.Thank you for all of your help. I've attached a scan of p 190 with the shaded circled letters. I was wondering about the large H's. Thanks again.
It looks to me like this illustration is attempting to replicate the 3-D molecule models that students use in the classroom, hence the circles around the atoms and the smaller hydrogen atom. In your braille graphic, you can ignore the circles around the letters, and the sizing is of no importance.
The shading is something I have never seen before. I think it is fine for you just to mention in a transcriber's note the fact that the rings are shaded in print.
The 2-dimensional orientation can be "tipped" which will allow you to use some horizontal and/or vertical bonds, along with a few oblique bonds necessary to complete each ring. The partially hidden hydrogens are, again, the print copy's attempt at making this appear three-dimensional. This is the CH3 molecule, so just make a carbon with three hydrogens, each with a single bond.
These bonds aren't really accurate. Just braille what you see (make them all single bonds). I think this is just a general illustration, not an accurate chemistry book as you say.
... Regarding the other page not shown, I'm not familiar with what you describe ("some of the circled letters are shaded around the letter itself within the circle"). I need to see the page in order to make a judgment -- can you attach it, too?
