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Direct MathML

Direct MathML

by Alex Jordan -
Number of replies: 2
Is there any way to have WeBWorK screen output use MathML in its HTML source code?

Currently the only way that I know of to make a WeBWorK problem readable by a screen reader for visual disabilities is the special combination of MathJax display mode set to render using MathML, IE 8 (and not IE 9), the screen reader Jaws, and the software MathPlayer. We've had no success altering any element of this formula. At the heart of the matter is that no matter what display option is used in WeBWorK, the source code for the page always uses LaTeX or something other than MathML tagging. Even MathJax is somehow converting LaTeX to MathML on-the-fly; when I look at the page's source I see LaTeX commands.

Am I wrong about that? Is there currently a way to have the source code for a WBWK problem screen use MathML? With ADA compliance becoming such a big issue, and with none of the commercial products even coming close to what WBWK can do with the above special combo (at least not to my knowledge) having direct MathML encoding of formulas would make for a huge mark in WBWK's favor when comparing to MML, WebAssign, etc.

In reply to Alex Jordan

Re: Direct MathML

by Mark Hamrick -
This has been an issue for us also.  Students had to use a locked down image with IE8.   They were unable to use IE9, which was the default on their home machines.
In reply to Alex Jordan

Re: Direct MathML

by Davide Cervone -
The recently released version 2.1 of MathJax should allow you to do the same arrangement with MathPlayer and MathJax with MathML output. You should be able to update your copy of MathJax to v2.1 without having to update any of the rest of WeBWorK, if you want.

I realize that this is still suboptimal, and there are some alternative approaches that are under development to allow MathJax to improve accessibility in browsers other than IE.