ReadSpeaker for Students

Introduction:

This article will walk you through how to use ReadSpeaker, a helpful tool integrated into our Brightspace learning environment that allows you to listen to course content. This can be a great way to engage with materials while multitasking, improve comprehension, or simply provide an alternative way to learn.

What is ReadSpeaker?

ReadSpeaker is a text-to-speech tool that reads digital text aloud. It can be particularly useful for:

• Accessibility: Providing auditory access to course materials for students with visual impairments or learning differences like dyslexia.
• Convenience: Listening to readings during commutes, workouts, or other times when reading on a screen isn't ideal.
• Improved Comprehension: Following along with the audio can sometimes enhance understanding and retention.
• Multimodal Learning: Engaging both auditory and visual senses can create a richer learning experience.

How to Use ReadSpeaker in Brightspace?

You'll typically find the ReadSpeaker controls in a few different places within your Brightspace courses:

1. Within Content Areas:

• Look for the Listen Button: When viewing content pages, you should see a "Listen" button, often represented by a speaker icon. It might be located at the top or bottom of the page.

Additional Resources:

• • ReadSpeaker webReader Overview for Brightspace (Video)
• • ReadSpeaker Brightspace for Students (Video)
• • Brightspace: Quiz and Assignments using webReader (Video)
• • ReadSpeaker webReader
• • ReadSpeaker docReader

FAQ Section:

• • What is Brightspace accessibility?
      Brightspace accessibility ensures that any student has equal access to learning content. Whether students with heavy course loads, those with learning challenges such as dyslexia or AHDA or physical disabilities such as impaired vision, accessibility measures will support these students in their learning.
• • How to install ReadSpeaker text-to-speech for Brightspace LMS?
      ReadSpeaker text to speech is already integrated into the Brightspace learning environment.
• • Does ReadSpeaker work within the document viewer of Brightspace?
      ReadSpeaker has its own document viewer called docReader. You can listen to text that is highlighted as it is read out loud, use a Page Mask, a Reading Ruler, and more. You can also highlight notes and then download them for studying.
• • Do faculty or administrators have to enable Readspeaker in LDB or if we have a license it is automatically enabled?
      ReadSpeaker is embedded in quizzes in all major LMSs. To use ReadSpeaker in Respondus LockDown Browser or other locked browsers, the student goes to the quiz in the same manner and will see the Listen button or will click the Activation Tab which launches the Listen button. In most LMSs, the student will need to highlight what they want to read and then click Listen. Brightspace by D2L has a listen button on each question, so there is no need to highlight.