FLVS To Add Texthelp Read Aloud Technology to Online Courses

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/14/10

Florida Virtual School, which provides online classes for K-12 students in Florida, will shortly expand deployment of a text-to-speech function it has been testing for its courses, according to an announcement at FETC 2010 in Orlando, FL. The new feature, powered by Texthelp Systems' SpeechStream, will be available on the course platform toolbar.

The read aloud functionality will be offered not only in courses, but also study skills tools, a dictionary, and a research tool for conducting Web searches on any selected word. The service will also include English to Spanish translation. Users will be able to speed up or slow down the pace of the reading. The conversion service works on both Mac OS X and Windows systems.

"We believe in breaking the mold. The new read-aloud or text-to-speech feature not only addresses a critical need of many students, but it expands our ability to give students a unique, customized learning experience," said Joy Smith, chief development officer for Florida Virtual School. "By embedding Texthelp's technologies into our courses, we will be able to consistently meet the needs of students who have a learning disability or who struggle with the English language. Even students with mild vision impairments or those who suffer from eye strain will benefit from the new course enhancements."

The read-aloud functionality will allow a student to click on a sentence to hear the content read aloud. At the same time, the words being read will be highlighted.

The virtual school's Curriculum Research and Discovery team conducted a pilot in two courses--Science and World History--to test how the new service would work. According to a statement from the Florida organization, results showed that the new tools gave struggling readers the support they needed to be more successful in their courses.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • teacher and children working with a LEGO Education Science kit

    LEGO Education Debuts Science Kits for Hands-on Learning

    LEGO Education has announced a new learning solution to engage students in hands-on science learning. Available in three kits by grade band, LEGO Education Science provides 120-plus standards-aligned science lessons, teacher materials, and select LEGO bricks and hardware.

  • school building split in half, with one side collapsing into a dark hole

    Office of Educational Technology, National Center for Education Statistics Fall Victim to ED Cuts

    The U.S. Department of Education has announced cuts of nearly half of its staff, numbering more than 1,300 workers, according to AP reporting. While official details on the cuts are not available, early commentary on LinkedIn has revealed drastic cuts in the areas of educational technology and data.

  • Two digital hands made of interconnected lines and nodes shaking hands firmly against a minimal technological background

    IBM to Acquire AI and Data Solutions Provider DataStax

    IBM has announced the planned acquisition AI and data solutions provider DataStax, in a move aimed at enhancing its watsonx portfolio and advancing generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for enterprises.

  • zSpace Imagine Learning Solution

    zSpace Debuts Headset-Free AR/VR System

    Immersive learning company zSpace has announced the zSpace Imagine Learning Solution, a headset-free AR/VR laptop system designed for elementary education. The all-in-one platform integrates hardware, software, and hands-on lessons to create dynamic learning experiences for young students.