Operationalising LaTeX to Support the Teaching of Mathematics to VI Students

In addition to vision loss, visually impaired (VI) students face several challenges when it comes to mastering mathematics such as, but not limited to, not having access to trained educators, lack of supportive and appropriate pedagogies and assistive technologies (ATs), socio- economic challenges, and the unique nature of mathematics.This paper presents a systematic review to establish what research has been published on mathematical education for VI students in tertiary education with the primary goal to provide insights regarding the role and range of technologies, and specifically LaTeX in the teaching of mathematics to VI students. The systematic review was conducted in March 2023, and adhered to the guidelines of the PRISMA 2020 framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) using two databases (Scopus and Web of Sciences (WoS)) with search terms related to visual impairment, mathematics, education, and LaTeX. A rigorous screening process, including title and abstract screening and full-text screening, was employed to determine the relevance and eligibility of the identified records. After resolving discrepancies through an independent parallel (double) screening process, 65 records from 1992 to 2022 were included for final analysis. Through an inductive analysis, five themes were identified, namely: the need to problematise the notion of “access”, the nature of mathematics as knowledge field, the impact of e-learning, the range and appropriateness of technological solutions, and LaTeX as viable option.The paper highlights the transformational potential of technology in encouraging inclusion for VI students pursuing mathematics education at tertiary level, laying the groundwork for context-appropriate interventions and also identifies several pointers for future research.除视力丧失外，视障（Visually Impaired，VI）学生在掌握数学知识时还面临诸多挑战，包括但不限于缺乏受过专业训练的教育者、适配性支持教学法与辅助技术（Assistive Technologies，ATs）不足、社会经济层面的困境，以及数学学科本身的独特属性。本文开展了一项系统综述，旨在梳理当前关于高等教育阶段视障学生数学教育的已发表研究，核心目标是剖析技术——尤其是LaTeX——在视障学生数学教学中的作用与应用范畴。该系统综述于2023年3月开展，遵循PRISMA 2020框架（系统综述与元分析首选报告条目，Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses）的指南，依托Scopus与Web of Science（WoS）两个数据库，使用与视力障碍、数学、教育及LaTeX相关的检索词进行检索。研究采用了严谨的筛选流程，包括标题与摘要筛选、全文筛选，以确定所识别记录的相关性与入选资格。通过独立平行（双人）筛选流程解决分歧后，最终纳入1992年至2022年间的65条记录用于最终分析。通过归纳式分析，本文确定了五大研究主题：即对“可及性”概念的问题化探讨、数学作为知识领域的本质属性、电子学习的影响、技术解决方案的范畴与适配性，以及LaTeX作为可行选择的相关研究。本文强调了技术在推动高等教育阶段修习数学的视障学生融入教学体系方面的变革潜力，为适配具体场景的干预措施奠定了基础，并为未来研究指明了若干方向。