Enhancing the Learning Experience with Readspeaker

Enhancing the Learning
Experience:
How ReadSpeaker Helps Students
and Educators
At Brightspace Ontario Ignite
Mohawk College, Hamilton
Michael Hughes, ReadSpeaker
October, 2015
E: michael.hughes@ReadSpeaker.com
M: +1 (416) 455-7658
T: @ServeLeadChange

 Why should educators know about modern
text-to-speech technology?
 What are the implications of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) on campus and how does text-to-
speech (TTS) help learners and teachers?
 Who and what is ReadSpeaker?
 How does ReadSpeaker TTS work within
Brightspace by D2L?
 What is involved in implementing ReadSpeaker
software?
Key Questions

But first a demo or two
Global News
http://globalnews.ca/news/2220695/global-news-text-to-
speech-converter-aims-to-help-canadians-access-the-
internet
Canadian Human Rights Commission
http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/fra/content/par-ou-dois-je-
commencer

Missiles of ligneous or petrous
consistency have the potential
of fracturing my osseous
structure, but appellations will
eternally remain innocuous.*
* Thanks to Michelann Parr, Ph.D. (McGill)
Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University
Why Educators Need to Know About
Modern Text-to-Speech (TTS) Technology

Who benefits from adding speech to your
online text content?
Accessibility
 Low literacy: 42% of Canadian adults*
 Dyslexia: 1 in 6 Canadians*
 Low vision: ~1million in Canada*
 Seniors: a fast-growing group
 Foreign-born (~20% per 2011census)
Mobility/Convenience/Efficiency
 Multi-taskers
 Mobile users
Education
 Learners of all ages
 Universal Design for Learning
Together, Reach 15% to 20% More People!!
•

Literacy Levels in Canada
by Level and by Education Level, 2012
Source: Government of Canada,
http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/.3ndic.1t.4r@-eng.jsp?iid=31
Perhaps surprisingly, some 47% of those with some post-secondary education were below
adequate levels in 2012

Universal Design for Learning
Universal design for learning is a framework
to improve and optimize teaching and learning
for all people,based on scientific insights into
how humans learn.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) &
the Social Model of Disability
 Key Idea: “environments and practices can
equally enable or disable individuals.
 “UDL moves the focus away from individual
characteristics to the environment’s own ability to
widen or restrict access”.*
 “UDL then should be “seen as the procedural
translation and application of the social model of
disability, and not as a stand-alone technique of
access”.*
* Fovet, Jarrett, Mole and Syncox,
McGill University, 2014

Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education:
“Myth of the Average Learner”
 The most consistent finding to emerge from the
interdisciplinary study of learning is that when it comes to
learning, natural variability is the rule, not the exception.
 What is perhaps most important to understand about
learner variability is not that it exists, but that not all of it
is random.
 Because some variability is systematic, you can design for
it in advance.
 This approach is called Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Source: udloncampus.CAST.org

User Experience Honeycomb
by Peter Morville*
Peter Morville, web U/X expert, explains these facets of the
user experience:
Useful. …We must have the courage and creativity to ask
whether our products and systems are useful, and…define
innovative solutions that are more useful.
Usable. …In short, usability is necessary but not sufficient.
Desirable. Our quest for efficiency must be tempered by an
appreciation for the power and value of image, identity, brand,
and other elements of emotional design.
Findable. We must strive to design navigable web sites and
locatable objects, so users can find what they need.
Accessible. Just as our buildings have elevators and ramps,
our web sites should be accessible to people with disabilities
(more than 10% of the population). Today, it’s good
business and the ethical thing to do. Eventually, it will become
the law.
Credible. Thanks to the Web Credibility Project, we’re
beginning to understand the design elements that influence
whether users trust and believe what we tell them.
Valuable. Our sites must deliver value....
http://semanticstudios.com/user_experience_design/

Some more recent research examples
• Csoli, K, Bennett, S, and Gallagher, T.S. (2009): Ready or Not, Here
They Come: Inclusion of Invisible Disabilities in Post-Secondary
Education
• Success at Secondary School level means more students are choosing to attend
post-secondary. Universal Instructional Design (UID) is reviewed as an
appropriate teaching tool for the postsecondary level, as it allows for increased
access to meaningful learning experiences for students with and without
disabilities.
• Baker, F. (2015): “Emerging Realities of Text-to-Speech Software for
Nonnative-English Speaking Community College Students in their
Freshman year”
• East coast US college very recent example
• Gonzalez, M (2014): “Effect of embedded text-to-speech and vocabulary
book scaffolds on the comprehension of students with reading disabilities”
• Scaffolds such as TTS narration can reduce the load on the readers‟ working memory (Grimshaw et al.
2008), which has been found to be one important aspect of successful comprehension (Oakhill, Cain, &
Bryant, 2003).

Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education:
Where TTS adds value
 Synchronous:
 Representation
• Accessible documents
(e.g. Powerpoint slides)
 Asynchronous
 Representation
• Accessible documents
(e.g. pdf’s, Office docs)
• TTS tools for use with
text-based content both
in HTML and in
documents
• Class websites with TTS
 Mobile & Devices
 Maximize study time-
efficiency (e.g. on transit
vehicles), or with derived
.mp3)
Source: udloncampus.CAST.org

The Reader as Navigator,
& Where TTS Helps The Learner*
The Map Reader The Purposeful Traveller The Captain The Chartmaker
Recognizes and uses a variety of
word solving strategies**
Selects texts and reads in a way that
permits travel to different times and
different places for different purposes.
Establishes a purpose for navigating a
text.
Recognizes reading as a
transaction among reader, author,and
reading community.
Draws on a repertoire of known
words and symbols and continually
develops a reading vocabulary that
allows navigation of a variety of
texts.
Is anchored in comprehension by
knowledge of a variety of text features
(e.g., story, poem, information).
Recognizes that the journey — the
purpose of reading — is the destination.
Explores, extends, and revises ideas,
information, and perspectives in texts in
order to help others travel
to different times and different places for
different purposes.
Recognizes and navigates
language conventions (e.g., sentence
structure, punctuation
Adjusts sails (reading strategies and
reading rate) to match the text
form and the purpose of travelling
through the text.
Recognizes that reading always involves
travelling through a text in search for
meaning.
Engages in critical thinking, critical
consciousness, critical literacy/ inquiry in
order to facilitate future voyages.
Recognizes and uses visual information as
a guide to comprehension.
Recognizes the author’s voice in a text. Knows and sails through a variety of
comprehension strategies
Recognizes points of view,
omissions, and multiple perspectives of
travellers and texts they encounter
along the way.
** (including awareness of letter–
sound relationships or decoding,
word analysis, syntax clues, and
context clues).
Travels successfully through a text
by thinking metacognitively,
connecting to previous voyages, and
making meaning.
Checks in and self-monitors while
reading, recognizing when the route to
comprehension breaks down and adjusts
sails to restore it.
Responds to texts in a variety of ways,
discovering new worlds and charting new
course.
Sustains travel through text and
comprehension, and maintains interest
over an extended time.
Responds to texts in a variety of
ways, adjusting sails when
necessary.
Excerpted from: Parr, M., & Campbell, T. (2012). Classroom Literacy Essentials: Weaving Theory into Practice for Successful
Instruction in Reading, Writing, and Talk. Toronto, ON: Pembroke Publishers (p. 66), as presented by Dr. M. Parr to International Reading Association conference

Introduction to ReadSpeaker
14

 ReadSpeaker offers a broad range of text-to-speech
solutions
 We have in-depth knowledge of the accessibility and
text-to-speech market, and our roots go back to 1999 in
Europe
 10,000+ websites/online environments world-wide
 Millions of users activating our “Listen” services every
month
 40+ languages and 100+ voices
 www.readspeaker.com
Who is ReadSpeaker?

ReadSpeaker Presence 2015
ReadSpeaker is now present in 60 countries
offices
clients

Extract of ReadSpeaker Client list : Education

er’s D2L Integration
Confidential | ReadSpeaker

ReadSpeaker Mission - Bridging the Digital
Divide
By Listening To Online/Offline Content That Matters to
Everyone Anytime and Anywhere
19

How ReadSpeaker fits in
Universal Design for Learning
 Anywhere and Anytime (virtually all
devices, browsers, operating
systems)
 Barrier Free (Click & Listen,
no downloading software first)
 Focus on highest voice quality
(best voices in the market, and
computational linguists on staff)
 Applicable on all digital content
 Customizable (by client and by
end-user)
 Universal Design for All

How does it work?
1
2
3
4
Educational
Institution’s
Server
ReadSpeaker
Server
Internet
The process takes only
a fraction of a second!
Our products are
webservices and
easy to implement
1
2
3
4
The end user browses on
the institution’s website
Presses the Listen button;
ReadSpeaker detects the
page/text
ReadSpeaker collects
the text and produces
the speech
And sends the audio
to the enduser

ReadSpeaker: Measurable and Accessible
 Barrier-free usage : No Downloads
 Server based solution : always the latest voice
technology/quality available
 Online Access to usage information YOUR site’s real usage !!
ReadSpeaker Activations on KidsHealth
website
0
200.000
400.000
600.000
800.000
1.000.000
1.200.000
may10
jun-10
jul-10
aug-10
sep-10
oct10
nov-10
dec-10
jan-11
feb-11
mar11
apr-11
may11
#ofmonthlyactivations

Listen to HTML
ReadSpeaker Enterprise

Accessibility Compliance
 100% valid with W3C recommendations
 Fully keyboard-controllable player
 Text-based Listen button
 Zoom support
 Easier to download audio
 Support for dynamically-generated content (such as Ajax or
Javascript)
 Support for multiple buttons and players on the same page
 Stable style sheets that don’t conflict with websites’ existing
CSS
 Customizable default behaviour and appearance
 Auto-detection and support for HTTPS websites
ReadSpeaker Enterprise Highlighting:
More Features

Since 2013, Integrated in BrightSpace by D2L
 Our flagship, ReadSpeaker
Enterprise Highlighting, is
seamlessly integrated into
BrightSpace and continues
to help all learners expand
their comprehension and
allows for bi-modal
learning.
 Now, BrightSpace includes
ReadSpeaker docReader
integration
 Text-Aid works within D2L
BrightSpace

Course content is speech-enabled within
Brightspace by D2L automatically

Listen to Documents
ReadSpeaker DocReader

ReadSpeaker docReader
 For speech-enabling your online documents published on your
website
 docReader can read/show text documents in PDF, Word, RTF,
ODT and ePUB3 format
 Highlighting of words and sentences
 Listen to the whole page or select text, “Click & Read”
 For best user experience and performance, these documents
need to be created in an accessible way (Styled Word, Tagged
PDF for example)
 Available as a ReadSpeaker Enterprise add-on (requires
ReadSpeaker Enterprise base subscription)

ReadSpeaker TextAid: Overview
Reading and Writing
• Listen to text in uploaded documents
• Read scanned documents and images
• One-click web-reading with the ‘TextAid Web Reader’
• Have the text highlighted as you read
• Adjustable reading speed
• Read in 12 languages
• Reading ruler and screen masking help focus on the
text
• Talking Calculator reads numbers and calculations
• Customizable text display provides more comfortable
reading, with different fonts including OpenDyslexic
• Have the text read back to you as you type.
• Download an audio file to listen to at any time
Researching
•Translate text into 12 languages.
•Save text and documents to your personal library and
retrieve it at any time
•Perform a web search on selected words or text
Extensive management and reporting tools:
•Coordinators can manage groups and users, share
documents, activate/deactivate certain features, and
appoint other coordinators.
•Access to full, detailed statistics for all users.
ReadSpeaker TextAid lets students listen to an audio version of
content while reading along with the highlighted text.
• This text can come from websites, emails, scanned documents,
textbooks, PDFs and more.
• Students can listen to any text with just one click of the ‘Listen’
button.
• 100% Web-based means Students can use Any Device
Institutional Users can integrate it into Brightspace by D2L and other
leading learning management systems

How do the pricing models work?
 ReadSpeaker Enterprise Highlighting &
ReadSpeaker docReader business model
 Integrated with major LMS platforms
 annual fee based on student FTE’s
 small one time set-up fee
 ReadSpeaker TextAid (any device from anywhere)
 Can be Integrated with major LMS platforms through LTI or standalone
 Annual Fee for 5,10,25,50,100,250,500, etc licenses, or
 Campus license (annual fee) or
 Or Individual Purchase Per student

Moving Forward: Questions & Answers
 What might it take to implement
ReadSpeaker?
 Enterprise Highlighting & docReader are already
integrated in BrightSpace by D2L
• Once licensed D2L “enables it” on your instances!
• Automatically add the “Listen” button to your content!
 ReadSpeaker TextAid integrated via LTI
 Simple & Straightforward with most work already
done
 Other Q & A”
 Thank you very much!

 Learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend
information that is presented to them
 People may require different ways of approaching content
 For accessibility reasons:
 those with sensory disabilities
 learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia)
 language or cultural differences
 Others may simply grasp information quicker or more efficiently:
 through visual or auditory means rather than printed text.
 Also learning, and transfer of learning, occurs when multiple representations
are used, because it allows students to make connections within, as well as
between, concepts.
Why is UDL necessary?
In short, there is not one means of representation that will be optimal
for all learners; providing options for representation is essential

Enhancing the Learning Experience with Readspeaker

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