CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES
_______________________________________________________________
Charter College of Education
Division of Special Education and Counseling
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8144
323-343-4400 (Phone)
323-343-5605 (Fax)
Informational Cover Letter
We are seeking teachers, parents, and students to participate in a research study that investigates the
development of a new Braille Challenge Mobile App (BCMA) for i-devices (ipads, ipad minis, iphones,
and ipod touches) and braille displays. The BCMA will include reading assessment materials and
activities that can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in literacy skills, using the Common Core
Standards (CCS). The project is part of a five year federally funded grant through the U. S. Department of
Education. We are currently seeking participants for phase 2 of project: the pilot stage (stage 3 will be a
dissemination phase). During this pilot phase, we are seeking teachers, parents, and students who are
willing to use the mobile app at home and at school. The research involves teachers giving students a
grade level reading assessment that has been adapted into mobile app platform, followed by completing
several reading activities that are designed to improve reading skills for children who read braille,
monitoring their progress, and giving them a final post-test. The reading passages have been selected
from current grade level materials and are typical of what a child would read in his or her reading and
language arts program. The activities are based on research and employ the best evidence-based reading
practices that we know of in the field of braille literacy.
The study will take a minimum of 8 weeks, but no longer than 16 weeks (minimum of 2 sessions per
week), at no longer than 45 minutes per session. During each session teachers will give the student a
reading test or have them participate in a reading game or activity that builds reading skills. Parents
wishing to participate in a secondary study will be asked to have their child play with the BCMA once a
week at home. As an incentive for full participation in the study students, parents, and their teachers will
be entered into a drawing to win an iPad mini and refreshable braille display.
There is minimal risk involved in participation such as stress, fatigue, or pressure to finish their
schoolwork. Students will be informed that they may quit the session and/or quit the study without any
penalties such as loss of service or lower grades. The work being completed is typical work being
completed during reading and language arts, but has been adapted to be completed on an iPad using a
refreshable braille display. Student performance data on reading assessments and activities will be
retained in a secure and shared database between CSULA and Braille Institute. The data will not include
any identifying information that will link the student’s identity to the performance data. Students and
teachers who participate will be given an identification number and data will not link be linked to their
identity, thus protecting their confidentiality as a participant in the study and anonymity of responses.
Teachers, parents, and students who are interested in participating will be asked to sign a consent form
and students will need to obtain parental (or legal guardian) permission. Please send the attached consent
and assent forms home with the students who you think may be interested.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY, PLEASE CONTACT DR.
CHERYL KAMEI-HANNAN AT cherylkamei@hotmail.com or ckameih@calstatela.edu or call
her at 323-343-6297. Thank you so much!
If you have any questions about this research at any time, please call Dr. Kamei-Hannan, Principal
Investigator at 323-343-6297 or write her at cherylkamei@hotmail.com or ckameih@calstatela.edu or
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Kamei-Hannan, Ph.D.
California State University, Los Angeles
Charter College of Education
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH.
ADDITIONAL CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS, OR QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR RIGHTS AS A
RESEARCH PARTICIPANT, SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND
RESEARCH (Phone number: 323-343-3798).