Date post: | 11-Jan-2017 |
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Michael HughesReadSpeaker
Toronto, ON@ServeLeadChange
2 Dec, 2016
Le Collège La Cité, Ottawa
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 (ou trois!)
From the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch: http://ottawa.cmha.ca/mental-health/your-mental-health/
Jeunesse, J’écoute / Kids Help Phone’s CoinDesGars.ca http://www.coindesgars.ca/Sujets-abordes/Lecole
Global News: Global News’ text-to-speech converter aims to help Canadians access the Internet - National | Globalnews.ca
What is Universal Design for Learning?
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 Colleges’ 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 choose the digital tools that fit them best.
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 SupportsUniversal 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, andwe know more about how to drive higher engagement
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.
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 PackagingSpeech 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
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?
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
UBI
QU
ITO
US
ANY Where ANY Time ANY Content
Compatible with all browsers and devices
Device-independent45 plug-ins for
CMS/LMSExpert development
team
Any Device99.92+% uptimeScalable for 10,000+
customersCustomers can and do
have millions of listens per day
Online & offlineWeb pages, online
documents and forms, apps, digital books, eLearning materials, devices, and more
STRATEGY
VOIC
E SP
ECIA
LIST
SPowerful TTS The Best Voices Linguists
More than 40 languages and 150 of the best voices on the market
We build our own voicesPronunciation 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, CanadaReadSpeaker
Toronto, ONCanada
M: +1 416 455 7658E: [email protected]
T: @ServeLeadChange
Questions & Discussion
BACKGROUND SLIDES
Who would benefit if educators were to speech-enable their websites?
Mobility/Convenience/EfficiencyMulti-taskersMobile users
AccessibilityLearning disabilities of many kinds
Low literacy: 42% of Canadian adults*Foreign-born (~20% per 2011census)Seniors: a fast-growing groupLow vision: ~1million in Canada*
EducationThose with diverse learning preferencesUniversal Design for Learning
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 pagehttp://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia
From the United States: WebMD:http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20161129/tennis-anyone-it-may-prolong-your-life
From Canada: Hospital for Sick Children 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 internationalstudents
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