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UMBC Adopts Mathpix Snip to Advance STEM Digital Accessibility

If you can click it, you can fix it.

Beginning this month, UMBC will introduce Mathpix Snip as a new resource to support the creation of accessible STEM course materials. With 300 licenses available through Instructional Technology, this new tool represents a major step forward in making handwritten mathematical, scientific, and technical content more usable for every learner -- particularly those who rely on screen readers, text-to-speech tools, or alternative formats.

Why Mathpix?

Mathpix is a tool for extracting text, and particularly math, from images and documents. This text/LaTeX can then be pasted into a document editing tool such as a LaTeX or Markdown editor. Powered by advanced OCR and AI-driven parsing, Mathpix can:

  • Convert handwritten equations, diagrams, and formulas into accessible MathML, LaTeX, HTML, and Mathpix Markdown.
  • Transform images, screenshots, and PDFs into structured text that supports screen readers.
  • Recognize tables, code, and complex expressions often found in STEM disciplines.
  • Streamline remediation of legacy course materials, including scanned notes, worksheets, problem sets, proofs, and solution keys.

These features allow instructors to move from static, image-based materials to content that is both editable and accessible, reducing the time and technical expertise required to meet federal accessibility standards. While Mathpix is a powerful engine for character recognition, it is a tool for extraction, not for authoring or delivery, and it cannot describe images for accessibility.

For those who want to explore the capabilities further, Mathpix offers a snipping tool, browser extension, handwriting recognition engine, PDF and image conversion tools, markdown workflows, and accessibility-focused use cases. Mathpix is available as a desktop application for Mac, Windows and Linux; on mobile (iOS and Android); and as a web browser (Chrome extension).

Who Is Eligible?

Licenses are reserved for instructors who teach in disciplines where handwritten or non-digital content remains common, including:

  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering

Faculty who regularly create handwritten materials or who need to convert existing handwritten materials for accessibility compliance will receive priority access to Mathpix. 

How to Request Access

To request one of UMBC's 300 Mathpix licenses, instructors should submit an RT ticket to Instructional Technology with the following information:

  • Name and email
  • Course ID and course name
  • Anticipated number of students
  • How many new handwritten files you typically create each semester
  • How many existing handwritten files you need to remediate for accessibility

This information helps the Instructional Technology team allocate licenses equitably and determine where additional support should be directed.

Training and Support

Access begins in January, accompanied by future training opportunities hosted by Instructional Technology and a group of faculty Mathpix ambassadors. These sessions will provide demonstrations, best practices for creating accessible STEM materials, and hands-on time with Mathpix workflows, ranging from quick equation conversions to full-document remediation.

If you'd like help determining whether Mathpix is a good fit for your course materials, Instructional Technology is happy to consult. This initiative supports UMBC's broader commitment to digital accessibility and ensures that all students, especially those in STEM pathways, have equitable access to the content they need to succeed.

For more information about digital accessibility, please visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

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Posted: January 28, 2026, 12:55 PM

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A human figure with outstretched arms inside a circle of two curved arrows, suggesting movement. Below the figure are two words: digital accessibility.

Free 3-day Conference on Labs for Online STEM Announced

Attend Innovating STEM Education 2020 online August 19-21

OLC Ideate Labs for Online STEM: Innovating STEM Education 2020  



With COVID pandemic, virtual labs are now a requirement rather than a "nice to have".  There are many technologies and strategies that can complement and substitute for face-to-face STEM labs that are no longer viable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

  

To help higher education institutions and faculty successfully respond to this new requirement.   MERLOT and OLC will be offering for FREE, a 3-day OLC Ideate Labs for Online STEM: Innovating STEM Education 2020 conference on August 19-21, 2020 on strategies for teaching STEM labs online with various technologies. This free virtual expo will showcase a wide range of virtual and distance labs designed to support online STEM education, offered by both commercial and open educational resource (OER) providers.   


Click here to register today!

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Posted: August 10, 2020, 5:49 PM

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Time Donut Tool Shows What Really Is Time Consuming

New UMBC tool helps manage time for college students

Attending class, doing homework, joining student organizations, and working at internships all have one thing in common; they take up student’s time. Ever wondered if you could better manage your time but didn't have the tool available to find out? Enter the Time Donut, a new tool, mobile friendly tool developed through the STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative. Although initially developed for STEM majors, the tool is available for all to use and can be also found on the advising UMBC website. 

UMBC’s Time Donut tool helps students track what they are doing by visualizing their time through data using emerging web technologies including HTML5 and D3.js. Students simply enter the expected number of hours spent into four categories -- academic, work, health and personal -- while specifying daily or weekly versions of the time donut. 

Bryan Lee, IT Projects Coordinator, said “We see students putting too much on their plate, they have to either withdraw, get an incomplete, or even worse fail the class because they realized they took too big of a bite.” 

The time donut tool can show if that  happening. As you enter in your expected hours, the donut alerts you when you go over and says “Whoops! Adjust your time allotments.” As you get closer to your time allotments, the donut alerts you and says “Doing great! You still have time.” 

Also available is a Weekly Activities Worksheet of the time donut for those who don’t know how much time they spend in each category. The worksheet helps you figure out your totals for the week which you can then enter into the weekly time donut or enter your averages into the daily Time Donut. 
                                
“This is for those who are looking to improve on their time management skills,” says Lee “Time management skills are really important in the professional world and honing in on these skills will really help.” 

Why is it called a time donut?  Lee says “Well, it started with the name of the type of data visualization, 'donut chart'. And since we were using the chart to illustrate total number of hours, we combined the two ideas and came up with Time Donut and it just stuck."

As a student goes through and sees there isn’t that much time in the day, they realize that taking 21 credits with a part time job along with balancing student organizations might not be the best course of action. 

The time donut is a useful tool for anyone who needs help with time management. “Play around with it, see what works and doesn’t work.” says Lee, “You might find that the amount of hours you spend you could actually be doing more.”
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Posted: July 15, 2015, 9:53 AM

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