With more than 25 years of expertise, ReadSpeaker’s text-to-speech (TTS) solutions and voice-enhanced learning tools help make content accessible and engaging for a diverse population of learners.
ReadSpeaker has 200+ voices in 50+ languages, and works with over 12,000 customers in 70+ countries.
In line with the Universal Design for Learning framework, which supports a flexible approach to individual learning needs, Smowltech has now partnered with ReadSpeaker to promote greater accessibility and inclusivity.
While proctoring software ensures academic integrity and builds trust in online education, text-to-speech (TTS) solutions offer auditory support within learning platforms, making educational and corporate digital exams more accessible.
What is SMOWL?
SMOWL is Smowltech´s proctoring solution.
Designed to build trust in online learning and make education more accessible, our software is used by institutions and organizations worldwide to guarantee academic integrity during exams and corporate assessments.
All of our plans include support for the installation and use of the tool, as well as access to our client area with a centralized management panel that produces advanced reports.
How does ReadSpeaker work?
Very much like SMOWL, ReadSpeaker integrates seamlessly with major Learning Management Systems – such as Moodle, Blackboard, or Canvas – through an easy-to-install plugin.
Once activated, and thanks to our partner´s cloud-based, dynamically produced speech, course content is audio-enabled as soon as it is uploaded. This does not only apply to learning materials, but also exams.
Technology for a diverse population
Technology is revolutionizing education, making it more accessible and inclusive.
Secure remote testing is now possible thanks to proctoring software, which provides greater learning opportunities for individuals with disabilities who may be unable to attend traditional campuses, as well as full-time workers and busy parents.
Text-to-speech solutions can also facilitate learning for individuals with diverse learning needs.
Backed by research
Listening plays a significant role in academic success, as students who listen better tend to achieve better results.
This argument is supported by research, which suggests that some people learn effectively by listening, whether or not they have disabilities.
This learning style is referred to as auditory learning and is one of the VARK learning methods, alongside visual, reading and writing, and kinesthetic learning.
In line with the above, studies on the use of TTS solutions in educational settings emphasize the importance of listening and reveal the need for supporting tools that help students on their learning journeys.
This piece of research by the University of Barcelona, for example, found that over 35% of students had been diagnosed with problems that affected reading understanding. Among non-diagnosed students, an important amount declared having issues to read and study and text-to-speech was proven to help.
Text-to-speech for proctored exams
Having explored the importance of TTS tools in learning environments, we can recognize their value in high-pressure situations like remote exams, where students need to overcome certain challenges by themselves.
Text-to-speech technology can help reduce stress so students can focus on writing their tests, leading to better grades.
ReadSpeaker reads the exam and instructions aloud with natural-sounding voices, helping learners understand the questions and the proctoring requirements.
Bridging the educational gap
By converting written text into spoken audio, ReadSpeaker facilitates learning for all individuals, including those with diverse educational needs, such as:
- Students with neurodiversities
- Dyslexic learners
- Multilingual learners
- Students with visual impairments
- Multi-tasking learners and those on the go
Moreover, our partner´s TTS solution can help bridge the gap for students who struggle with the language they are learning in. For example, those from immigrant communities.
In addition to reading text out loud, ReadSpeaker can translate content into multiple languages.
This not only helps students overcome language barriers but also enables family members to support them with assignments and course-related tasks, ensuring they can participate in their education.
With regards to our partner´s translation functionality, Dr. Gary Tryzbiak, President, Treasurer, and Co-Founder of Colorado Theological Seminary, noted that the reason for adopting ReadSpeaker was to help their non-native English students understand the materials presented.
Fully-customizable solutions
Our proctoring and text-to-speech solutions can be tailored to meet our customers´needs and offer seamless integration at LMS level.
Moreover, both SMOWL and ReadSpeaker are Moodle Certified Integrations, allowing students to write tests remotely and listen to text-based materials within the same learning environment.
ReadSpeaker also offers student-level customization, as learners can choose the reading speed and accent that suits their preferences best. Students can not only choose from more than 50 voices, but also pick from different regional accents.
In addition to online and offline text-to-speech features, our partner provides students with a set of reading, writing, and studying tools, allowing them to:
- Highlight words and make notes
- Mask the surrounding text to focus on a single line
- Choose font type and size
- Look up more information on a word
- Choose text and background color combinations
- Download text as an MP3
Positive feedback
Similarly to Smowltech, ReadSpeaker has received favorable feedback from clients and customers.
Storie Walsh, Director of Instructional Technology at Virtual High School, noted that students can have text read aloud with a single click and highlighted the tool’s popularity since its implementation.
Gemma Lesterhuis, Owner of LT&C and Moodle LMS Specialist, reported no issues and pointed out the ease of implementation of our partner´s solution.
Geert Van der Wijk, Product Owner-Educational Systems at Windesheim University, also endorsed ReadSpeaker, stating that it is a valuable tool for all users.
These institutions are among the many that have adopted ReadSpeaker´s text-to-speech technology to make education more accessible and inclusive.
Their list of clients include institutions, platforms, and publishers including Oxford University Press, Erasmus University, Derby University, Taylor & Francis, Cengage, aNewSpring, D2L, Cirrus, and MindTap.
Technology for equal access to education
Technological advancements are revolutionizing education. At Smowltech, we have partnered with ReadSpeaker to shape its future with our proctoring and text-to-speech solutions, ensuring that learning remains accessible and inclusive for all students.
If you are interested in exploring how SMOWL can benefit your academic institution or organization, we invite you to request a free, no-obligation demo.
