Readspeaker Presentation at 2016 Brightspace Southern Ontario Connection

Michael HughesReadSpeakerToronto, ON

@ServeLeadChange

November 18, 2016

Harriet Tubman Public School, DSB Niagara

How to Deploy & Support a

Universal Design for Learning Strategy

w/ TTS Technology

within D2L’s Learning Environment

What is Universal Design for Learning?

How does text-to-speech fit into UDL?

Does TTS really help students learn?

Which ones…who benefits?

A word about User Experience (UX) and

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Who is ReadSpeaker?

What does ReadSpeaker’s toolset range

offer educators and students?

How does ReadSpeaker text-to-speech

software work within D2L? Let’s see it!

What does it take to implement?

How does pricing work?

Questions and discussion

Key Questions

But first a demonstration or two

From our host’s webpage:

DSB Niagara - Parenting & Family Literacy Centres example

Global News: Global News’ text-to-speech converter aims to help

Canadians access the Internet - National | Globalnews.ca

What is Universal Design for Learning?

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What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?From the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Learning for All (2013)

“The core concepts of UDL can be summarized as follows:

• Universality and equity;

• Flexibility and inclusiveness;

• An appropriately designed space;

• Simplicity;

• Safety.”

“In a diverse classroom, no single method can reach all learners. Multiple pathways to achieving goals are needed.”

(Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002, p. 18)

What about UDL in Post-Secondary Education?

“Definition of UDL

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the design of instructional materials

and activities that allow learning goals to be achieved by individuals with wide

differences in their abilities to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand

English, attend, organize, engage, and remember (Ivy Access Initiative, Brown

University)

• The essential qualities of UDL include valuing each learner’s unique perspectives

and accommodating individual differences in learners’ backgrounds, interests,

abilities, and experiences.

• The cardinal rule of UDL is that there is no single method for representing

information that will provide equal access for all students; no single method

of expression that will provide equal opportunity for all students; no single way to

ensure that all students are engaged in learning because any method that works

for some students may present barriers to learning for others (ERIC/ OSEP,

1998;as cited by Mino, 2004). Accordingly Universal Instructional Design

emphasize flexibility in curriculum and instruction.”

http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/instructionaldesign/UDLRecommendations.pdf

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

DisabilityIssues.ca – Ontario’s CCDI-CCBPMedical Model vs Social Model

Medical Model

Being disabled is a negative

Doctors/professionals know best

Remedy is a cure

Disability resides in the individual

Social Model

Individual with the disability

knows best

Disability is a difference

•Disability arises from interaction of

the individual and society

Accommodation Model

Access is a problem and should be

addressed by the individual

Access is achieved through special

accommodations

Access is reactive

≈

Accessible Model

Access issues stem from poorly designed

environments

Access is proactive

Access is inclusive

Access is part of the design and is

sustainable

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

UDL: one way to think of it

UDL flips the model of assistive technologies by offering benefits of digital technologies to all users, allowing them to choosethe digital tools that fit them best.

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How does Text-to-Speech Fit into UDL?

Ontario Ministry of Education: What Works, 2011“The Voice of Text-to-Speech Technology”

“Research Tells Us

• Children who fall behind as readers read

less; this, in turn, can increase the skills

gap between struggling readers and their

peers.

• Self-efficacy – belief in oneself as a

reader – is half the battle in helping

students learn to read.

• Choice – in what to read, when to read

and how to read – acts as a powerful

motivator for all students and especially

for those who struggle with reading.

• Text-to-speech technology facilitates

student choice, differentiation and self-

advocacy.”Dr. Michelann Parr, Schulich School of Education

2014 Canadian study recommends enhancing course self-efficacy to increase student success

“Findings on the Course Self-Efficacy Scale suggest that enhancing one’s belief that

one can effectively research a term paper, do well on exams, manage time

effectively, take good class notes, keep up-to-date with school work, and

understand the material in textbooks may improve academic performance and

increase the likelihood of graduation….

“Findings on the CEQ School Environment measure suggest that campus

IT departments can help by ensuring that information on campus web sites is

accessible and by providing adequate assistive technologies in the diverse

computer labs on campus. Training on computer technologies both on and off

campus, and ensuring the availability of course materials (alternate formats)

can also facilitate success.”

Fichten, CS et al, 2014. College and university students with disabilities:

“Modifiable”…factors related to grades and graduation

Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 27 (3), p. 286

ReadSpeaker Actively Supports

Universal Design for Learning

User experience (U/X): Why simplicity matters, orTaking charge of making it better for your students

Universal design principles point

to design that makes it easy to

choose to listen “in the moment

of need”

This also supports user autonomy

and self-efficacy

Over the years, best practices

have improved, and

we know more about how to drive

higher engagement

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Does TTS really help students learn? Which ones…who benefits?

Literacy Levels in Canada: Surprising?

Source: Government of Canada,

http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/[email protected]?iid=31

Perhaps surprisingly, some

47% of adults with some post-

secondary education were

below adequate levels in 2012,

and even 27% of adults with

degrees

Canada & Ontario: Educational Attainment & Disabilities

Canadian sources suggest proportions

of the student population with

disabilities range from 5% to 15%, with

universities and college proportions

significantly different

McCloy and DeClou’s 2013 report

provides a quite comprehensive view to

the Ontario situationand to a lesser

extent, that of Canada as a whole.

As can be seen in the chart here, while a

higher share of people have

postsecondary credentials, the gap

between those with disabilities and

those without has not closed over time.

McCloy, U. and DeClou, L. (2013).

Disability in Ontario: Postsecondary education participation rates, student experience and

labour market outcomes. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

For example: a rising wave -- the numbers in Ontario

In 2013-14, some 54,300 students

were registered with Disabilities

Offices at publicly-funded Ontario

postsecondary institutions:

2X the number in 2002-03

“In 2013-14, $48 million in funding

was provided to assist students

with disabilities succeed in

postsecondary studies — up more

than 45% since 2002-03”

Nearly 40% of 21,000 Ontario community

college students who registered with

college disability offices in 2008-09 self-

identified as having a learning disability.

How many students don’t register or

self-identify but DO have learning

disabilities?

Who benefits when your VLE is speech-enabled?

Busy learners who like to multitask or listen on the go.

Learners with reading impairments, including dyslexia.

Learners with concentration difficulties.

Learns with cognitive impairments.

Learners who are non-native speakers of the language in which they are studying (e.g. ELL students).

Learners with visual impairments.

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Who is ReadSpeaker?

Premier Provider of Text-to-Speech Technology

ReadSpeaker develops

text-to-speech technologies and

services to interpret and audibly read

text in a synthetic yet naturalized,

human sounding voice, entirely

managed on its own proprietary

technology infrastructure

5,000+Websites and Mobile Apps

40+ Languages

150+ Voices

Technology Advantage: Our End-to-End Platform Means You Get the Best Quality Voices

ReadSpeaker’s end-to-end platform control allows for real-time adjustments, which leads

to better quality voices & user experience

ReadSpeaker EnterprisePlatform

Enterprise Highlighting

docReader

TextAid

Web API’s

Production services

Third-Party Providers

rSpeak

ReadSpeaker’s Proprietary

Voice Engine

TTS Packaging

Speech Server

SDK’s

SAPI OEM

ProductOfferings

Web Reading

Learning

Licensing/Applications

Platform Technology

MarketsServed

Suppliers (Voices)

ReadSpeaker Presence 2016

ReadSpeaker is now present in over 60 countries

offices

clients

A sample of Education customers

Let’s try it out:ReadSpeaker in Brightspace

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ReadSpeaker for Brightspace: Overviews and Video Tours

Video Overview: ReadSpeaker for Brightspace

Video overview: ReadSpeaker docReader in Brightspace

Integrated into Brightspace by D2L

Please visit appfinder.Brightspace.com

Course content is speech-enabled within Brightspace by D2L automatically

How do we do this? In practical terms?

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What do I have to do to turn this on in our D2L?How do we get started?

Here’s the 1 page guide from D2L:

1. Get a ReadSpeaker customer ID

2. Enter this ID in Config Variable

Browser in Admin Tools in

Brightspace

3. In Organization Tools, switch

ReadSpeaker to “ON”.

You’re done!

In a word, YES!

ReadSpeaker offers a wide variety of solutions & toolsets

Generally our streaming solutions (like the integrated ReadSpeaker for Brightspace) come with a one-time setup fee and an annual service fee that includes all upgrades and maintenance.

For educational institutions, ReadSpeaker’s pricing brackets are structured by the number of students

ReadSpeaker TextAid is priced separately and can be individual or institutional/managed in Brightspace.

Our Production and TTS Licensing offerings are generally based on consumption and a wide range of use case models

Is it affordable? How do ReadSpeaker Pricing Models Work?

ReadSpeaker for Learning Management Systems Standard Pricing

Tiers*

1 -500501-1000

1001-20002001-5,0005,001-8,999

9,000-15,99916,000-31,99932,000-54,99955,000-72,000

72000 +

* Typically full-time equivalent (FTE) students

STRATEGY

UB

IQU

ITO

US

ANY Where ANY Time ANY Content

Compatible with all

browsers and devices

Device-independent

45 plug-ins for CMS/LMS

Expert development

team

Any Device

99.92+% uptime

Scalable for 10,000+

customers

Customers can and do

have millions of listens

per day

Online & offline

Web pages, online

documents and forms,

apps, digital books,

eLearning materials,

devices, and more

STRATEGY

VO

ICE

SP

EC

IAL

IST

SPowerful TTS The Best Voices Linguists

More than 40 languages

and 150 of the best voices

on the market

We build our own voices

Pronunciation fine-tuning

and corrections based on

feedback (names,

acronyms, special words…)

Multi-layer pronunciation

correction per language,

voice, client

Customizable dictionaries

Web-based services have no

capacity limit compromises

Our linguists are experienced

scientists with global

experience

Improvements at various levels

from engine to dictionaries

and library

25% of the team’s time is

spend on R&D

And ReadSpeaker goes that extra mile….

…we provide implementation, deployment and statistics....to

support students and educators with sustainable on-line UDL.

Thank You!

Michael Hughes, Business Director, Canada

ReadSpeaker

Toronto, ON

Canada

M: +1 416 455 7658

E: [email protected]

T: @ServeLeadChange

Questions & Discussion

BACKGROUND SLIDES

A sample of Education customers

Who would benefit if educators were to speech-enable their websites?

Mobility/Convenience/Efficiency

Multi-taskers

Mobile users

Accessibility

Learning disabilities of many kinds

Low literacy: 42% of Canadian adults*

Foreign-born (~20% per 2011census)

Seniors: a fast-growing group

Low vision: ~1million in Canada*

Education

Those with diverse learning preferences

Universal Design for Learning

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Standard

settings

include

“download as

mp3”

A wide range of people! It’s about UX and Universal Design

Blended Learning & UDL: The Opportunity

In Ontario’s post-secondary, roughly 40% of the 55,000 registered with campus

disabilities offices (OSD’s) identify as people with learning disabilities

As blended learning (on-site+on-line) continues to grow, there is a tremendous

opportunity to invest in Universal Design for Learning approaches to realize better

results AND better value

For example, Ontario’s educators could deliver more widely-accessible learning

content tools to all students and faculty and free up some precious resources within

OSD’s as demand for their services continues to grow

A case in point is ReadSpeaker text-to-speech within LMS platforms, by leveraging

TTS’s cost-effectiveness (Blackboard, D2L, Moodle, Canvas by Instructure, and other

LMS and CMS platforms). So no matter what LMS plans Humber may develop in the

future, you can be confident that ReadSpeaker will be there to support your student,

staff, and faculty needs for delivering multiple ways to learn and support UDL.

From Australia: About Australia page, Government of Australia landing page

http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia

From Canada: KidsHelpPhone/Jeunesse, J’Écoute site CoinDesGars.ca

http://coindesgars.ca/Sujets-abordes/Lintegration

From Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children (2nd

level page)

http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Newsroom/index.html

From Tokyo, Japan:

From Chile:

From Canada and the World: Other sector examples

Ontario –International Students enrollment growth

Universities:

>42,000

international

students

Colleges:

>27,000

international

students

Source: HEQCO.ca (“Quick Stats”) 2016)

A few other statistics

Half the students exiting special education into PSE in the US indicate they no longer believe they have a disability, while a further 14% choose not to disclose their disability (Getzel, 2014) This suggests a real need for widely-available tools within PSE generally for those who

learn early enough in their PSE career that they may have been mistaken but still don’t register with accessibility offices on campus

Statistics Canada reports that International student enrolments accounted for almost 10% of the total post-secondary student enrollment rose in 2013/14, The majority of these students were from Asia, with China as the main country of

citizenship.

International student enrolments have been steadily increasing for almost two decades, and rose 2.5% in 2013/14

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