Copia Adds Text-to-Speech and New Study Aids to K-12 Social E-Reading Platform

Copia has improved its social e-reading platform focusing on tools for K-12 students and teachers. The updates, available now, are being piloted at the Los Angeles Unified School District to help improve students' reading skills.

Copia is a social reading community. It includes an online bookstore that provides book and e-book details and reviews; a library where users can access their purchased books; tools to take and share notes with designated people or groups and highlight portions of books; commentary from authors, professors, and celebrities; and the capability to create and participate in secure online groups and discussions.

The platform can be accessed using desktop apps for OS X and Windows and through iOS and Android native apps.

New features of Copia include:

  • Embedded tools such as dictionaries, study aids, and other reference materials;
  • A "speak" capability, which reads highlighted text to students;
  • Embedding questions privately to teachers;
  • Tools for crowdsourcing information and questions and highlighting; and
  • Assessment and exam tools for individual students and groups.

The pilot program, which was implemented by learning design company The Alvo Institute in the summer of 2012, includes 230 student participants and four teachers in the New Open World (NOW) Academy in Los Angeles. When it started, 77 percent of participants said reading assignments made them nervous because of a lack of understanding, they lacked in class participation, and couldn't do homework.

"Mid-pilot results confirm that Copia is making reading more accessible to even the most reluctant and struggling readers," according to a news release.

"The opportunity to pioneer a technology-based program aligns with our school's mission and vision," said Charles Flores, principal at the NOW Academy. "The partnership with Copia has allowed our students to further develop 21st century skills through the use of interactive digital texts in the classroom."

Los Angeles Unified School District has more than 640,000 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade at 900-plus schools and 187 public charter schools. It is the second-largest district in the United States.

For more information about Copia, visit thecopia.com.

About the Author

Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @editortim.

Featured

  •  laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • chart with ascending bars and two silhouetted figures observing it, set against a light background with blue and purple tones

    Report: Enterprises Are Embracing Agentic AI

    According to a new report from SnapLogic, 50% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents, and another 32% plan to do so within the next 12 months..

  • stacks of glowing digital documents with circuit patterns and data streams

    Mistral AI Intros Advanced AI-Powered OCR

    French AI startup Mistral AI has announced Mistral OCR, an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) API designed to convert printed and scanned documents into digital files with "unprecedented accuracy."

  • student using a tablet with math symbols dissolving into a glowing AI

    Survey: Students Say AI Use Can Reduce Math Anxiety

    In a recent survey, 56% of high school students said that the use of artificial intelligence can go a long way toward reducing math anxiety.