Poodll Read Aloud: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:43, 2 December 2019

How well are your student's reading?
Poodll Read Aloud helps teachers answer this question in a way that's simple, quick, and fun.

Three Simple Steps

Students read
Read Aloud evaluates
Teachers get actionable data

The teacher selects a level-appropriate reading passage. Students then record themselves reading the passage aloud. When they are finished, Poodll Read Aloud grades the attempt automatically and provides words per minute (WPM) and accuracy scores. Languages presently supported for auto-grading include: English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Manual grading is supported via an intuitive interface. Students are able to view their scores, listen to their readings, and see which words were marked as incorrect.

Please watch the Read Aloud video for an overview.

About Poodll Read Aloud

Read Aloud is a plugin that enables teachers to evaluate a student's reading ability by giving them WPM (words per minute) and accuracy scores based on their reading of a passage. The latest version is HTML5, which enables it to be used with modern browsers, smartphones and tablets (though not IE). The traditional paper-based method of administering this activity requires the teacher to work with each student individually, timing and marking the score sheet in real time. Read Aloud provides a way to record readings using a PC or tablet, which saves class time by enabling all students to undertake the task simultaneously. It is also possible to complete the activity outside class, or even remotely. Teachers assess student reading quickly and efficiently using a custom interface. The latest version of Read Aloud features AI grading, which automatically matches a transcript of the student’s reading against the original passage and assigns a WPM and accuracy score. After completing the task, both the recording and the reading passage (marked with any errors) can be reviewed by the student. Teachers are able to override errors with manual grading.

Use Cases

Native Speakers

In first language contexts, Read Aloud is most often used for reading practice, assessment, and progress monitoring. Many educational authorities require students to achieve a minimum standard of reading proficiency before advancing to the next grade. Read Aloud makes it easy for teachers to collect measures of oral reading ability that can be shared with parents, administrators, and other stakeholders.

Language Learners

Read Aloud is also used extensively in language learning. Curricula that include extensive reading or speed reading programs use Read Aloud to measure changes in reading speed and accuracy via pre- and post-testing. Mismatches between the transcription of a student's reading and the original passage provides language learners with valuable feedback on pronunciation. Students are able to reattempt the task multiple times with the purpose of improving their pronunciation of certain words.

Screenshots

Microphone Test
Reading Passage
Passage (graded)
End Marker
Grading Buttons

Getting Started

Read Aloud requires a Poodll API username and secret. These are available with a free trial or paid subscription to Poodll. To get your API username and secret:

Visit the Read Aloud page at poodll.com
Take a "30 day Free Trial"
Register your Moodle site URL on your member page
Pick up your Cloud Poodll API user and secret

Then you can install Poodll Read Aloud as usual from the Moodle plugins directory. After installation you will be asked for your API user and secret. Please see the Poodll Read Aloud support documentation for more information on installing and using Read Aloud.

About Poodll

Poodll has been making plugins for Moodle since 2011. Our software has helped teachers build and deliver language courses in thousands of Moodle websites worldwide. Search for "Poodll" in the Moodle plugins directory to see a list containing more than 25 of our plugins. Poodll is based in Nagasaki, Japan.

Useful Links

Poodll Read Aloud
Type	Activity
Set	Cloud Poodll
Downloads	https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_readaloud
Issues	https://github.com/justinhunt/moodle-mod_readaloud/issues
Discussion	https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=8143
Maintainer(s)	Justin Hunt

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 noodle icons reading small.jpg
 </gallery>
-'''How well are your student's reading?'''
+'''''<big>How well are your student's reading?</big> <br />
+Poodll Read Aloud helps teachers answer this question in a way that's simple, quick, and fun.'''''<br />
-Read Aloud is a plugin that enables teachers to evaluate a student's reading ability by giving them WPM (words per minute) and Accuracy scores based on their reading of a passage. Although originally Flash based, the latest version is HTML5, which enables it to be used with modern browsers, smartphones and tablets (though not IE). The traditional paper-based method of administering this activity required the teacher to work with each student individually, timing and marking the score sheet in real time. Read Aloud provides a way to record  readings using a PC or tablet, which saves class time by enabling all students to undertake the task simultaneously. It is also possible to complete the activity outside class, or even remotely. Teachers assess student reading quickly and efficiently using a custom interface. The latest version of Read Aloud features AI grading, which automatically matches a transcript of the student’s reading against the original passage and assigns an accuracy and WPM score. After completing the task, both the recording and the reading passage (marked with any errors) can be reviewed by the student. Teachers are able to override errors with manual grading. It is also possible to conduct running records including MSV tagging of errors and self-corrections.
-Please [https://youtu.be/4GK_zU72qtQ watch the Read Aloud video for an overview.]
+'''<big>Three Simple Steps</big>'''
-<gallery>
+# Students read
-mic test.png|Microphone Test
+# Read Aloud evaluates
-reading passage.png|Reading Passage
+# Teachers get actionable data<br />
-Poodll Read Aloud Passage Graded.png|Reading Passage (graded)
+The teacher selects a level-appropriate reading passage. Students then record themselves reading the passage aloud. When they are finished, Poodll Read Aloud grades the attempt automatically and provides words per minute (WPM) and accuracy scores. Languages presently supported for auto-grading include: English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Manual grading is supported via an intuitive interface. Students are able to view their scores, listen to their readings, and see which words were marked as incorrect.
-</gallery>
-==Minimum Requirements==
-* Moodle 3.2
-* Site running HTTPS
-* Internet access
-* Browser which support HTML5 audio recording (Chrome is best)
-== How to use Poodll Read Aloud ==
-==== Student Guide ====
-When students open the Read Aloud activity they are presented with a mic test recorder and some instructions, as in the screenshot. The instructions can be configured by the teacher.<br />
-[[File:mic test.png]]<br />
+Please watch the [https://youtu.be/4GK_zU72qtQ '''Read Aloud video'''] for an overview.
+== About Poodll Read Aloud ==
+Read Aloud is a plugin that enables teachers to evaluate a student's reading ability by giving them WPM (words per minute) and accuracy scores based on their reading of a passage. The latest version is HTML5, which enables it to be used with modern browsers, smartphones and tablets (though not IE). The traditional paper-based method of administering this activity requires the teacher to work with each student individually, timing and marking the score sheet in real time. Read Aloud provides a way to record  readings using a PC or tablet, which saves class time by enabling all students to undertake the task simultaneously. It is also possible to complete the activity outside class, or even remotely. Teachers assess student reading quickly and efficiently using a custom interface. The latest version of Read Aloud features AI grading, which automatically matches a transcript of the student’s reading against the original passage and assigns a WPM and accuracy score. After completing the task, both the recording and the reading passage (marked with any errors) can be reviewed by the student. Teachers are able to override errors with manual grading. <br />
-The student should press the “Test Microphone” button and say a few words. When the recorder detects speech it will switch to “Start Activity” mode.<br />
+== Use Cases ==
+<br />
+'''''Native Speakers'''''<br />
-[[File:mic test complete.png]]<br />
+In first language contexts, Read Aloud is most often used for reading practice, assessment, and progress monitoring. Many educational authorities require students to achieve a minimum standard of reading proficiency before advancing to the next grade. Read Aloud makes it easy for teachers to collect measures of oral reading ability that can be shared with parents, administrators, and other stakeholders. <br />
-When the “Start Activity” button is pressed, the passage will appear and the student should begin reading aloud. <br />
+'''''Language Learners'''''<br />
-[[File:reading passage.png]]<br />
+Read Aloud is also used extensively in language learning. Curricula that include extensive reading or speed reading programs use Read Aloud to measure changes in reading speed and accuracy via pre- and post-testing. Mismatches between the transcription of a student's reading and the original passage provides language learners with valuable feedback on pronunciation. Students are able to reattempt the task multiple times with the purpose of improving their pronunciation of certain words. <br />
-When the time limit is reached (default 1 minute) the recorded audio is uploaded and the student’s attempt submitted for review.<br />
+== Screenshots ==
+<gallery>
-[[File:exit for Read Aloud.png]]<br />
+mic test.png|Microphone Test
+reading passage.png|Reading Passage
+Poodll Read Aloud Passage Graded.png|Passage (graded)
+Poodll Read Aloud key.png|End Marker
+Poodll Read Aloud Gradin Buttons.png|Grading Buttons
+</gallery>
-After the student has recorded and their attempt has been evaluated (human or machine), they will be able to see the full passage as well as their WPM and Accuracy scores. If enabled by the teacher, they will also be able to see their mistakes marked up on the passage.<br />
+==Getting Started==
+Read Aloud requires a Poodll API username and secret. These are available with a free trial or paid subscription to Poodll. To get your API username and secret:
-[[File:Poodll Read Aloud Passage Graded.png]]<br />
+# Visit the [https://poodll.com/individual-poodll-read-aloud/ '''Read Aloud page'''] at poodll.com
+# Take a "30 day Free Trial"
+# Register your Moodle site URL on your member page
+#Pick up your [https://poodll.com/member/?action=api '''Cloud Poodll API user and secret''']
-==== Settings Overview ====
+Then you can install Poodll Read Aloud as usual from the Moodle plugins directory. After installation you will be asked for your API user and secret.
+Please see the [https://support.poodll.com/support/solutions/folders/19000162624 '''Poodll Read Aloud support documentation'''] for more information on installing and using Read Aloud.
-Read Aloud has a number of settings and tabs, which may been confusing to a first-time user. Some of the settings relate to which evaluation (human or machine) should be used for pushing grades to the gradebook. Other settings relate to error mitigation.
+== About Poodll ==
+Poodll has been making plugins for Moodle since 2011. Our software has helped teachers build and deliver language courses in thousands of Moodle websites worldwide. Search for "Poodll" in the Moodle plugins directory to see a list containing more than 25 of our plugins. Poodll is based in Nagasaki, Japan.<br />
-Each attempt on a Read Aloud activity can be human evaluated, machine evaluated. It is also possible for the teacher to manually override machine grading as necessary. To avoid the necessity of manually checking machine grading, Read Aloud contains error mitigation features designed to reduce the occurrence of “false negatives.” False negatives are words the student read correctly which the machine evaluation has indicated are incorrect.
+== Useful Links ==
+* [https://poodll.com/individual-poodll-read-aloud/ Read Aloud Free Trial]
+* [https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_readaloud Read Aloud Download]
+* [https://support.poodll.com/support/solutions/folders/19000162624 Read Aloud Support Documentation]
+* [https://demo.poodll.com/mod/readaloud/view.php?id=233 Read Aloud Demo]
+* [https://github.com/justinhunt/moodle-mod_readaloud/issues Read Aloud Issues]
-{| class="wikitable"
+[[Category:Contributed code]]
-|-
+[[es:Poodll ReadAloud]]
-|Poodll API User (admin)|| https://poodll.com username|| ReadAloud uses the Cloud Poodll API. Your Moodle site needs to be registered.
-|-
-| Poodll API Secret (admin)|| API secret from members area on https://poodll.com || You can get a key from poodll.com
-|-
-| Passage (instance) || The text for student to read|| Enter the text here for the student to read. It should not contain any html formatting (size, color etc) or images.
-|-
-| Time Limit || Mins : Secs of reading time|| Usually the student has 1 minute to read and the passage is longer than any student can finish.
-|-
-| Can exit early|| True/False|| If set to true a Stop button will show beneath the recorder, allowing the reader to finish earlier than the time limit.
-|-
-| Enable AI (admin/instance) || True/ False || Use AI to create a transcript of student reading and automate the student evaluation. It is possible to create automated evaluations, but only push the final human evaluation to the gradebook if that is preferable.
-|-
-| Target WPM (admin/instance)|| The default target WPM.|| A students grade is calculated for the gradebook using this value as the maximum score. If their WPM score is equal to, or greater than the target WPM, they will score 100%.
-|-
-| Error estimation (admin/instance) || never estimate errors, auto estimate errors (def.), fixed error estimate
- || '''Upcoming Feature''' - An estimate of the number of machine transcription errors per attempt is used to create adjusted scores that compensate for errors in machine transcription.
-|-
-| AWS Region (admin/instance)|| US East/Tokyo, Japan/Sydney, Australia/Dublin, Ireland|| Which AWS region to use to store and process recordings. NB: Tokyo, Japan does '''NOT''' support machine evaluation.
-|-
-| Days to keep file (admin/instance)|| 1, 3, 7, 30, 90, 180, 365 (def.), 730, forever|| The number of days to keep the students recording on AWS.
-|-
-| Alternatives (admin/instance)|| Sets of alternative words that can be marked correct. (e.g., there, their, they’re)|| Often machine transcription will make the same mis-transcriptions. By reviewing the “errors” it finds we can spot these and correct them here. The passage word is the first word in the set and the alternatives follow, separated by the pipe character. Each alternatives’ set should be on a new line.
-|-
-| Human/Machine Grading || Never use machine evaluation/Use machine or human evaluation|| Read Aloud will submit the machine evaluation to the gradebook by default. When a human evaluation of an attempt is made, that will be submitted to the gradebook replacing the machine grade. If "Never use machine evaluation" is selected, the machine evaluation will never be sent to the gradebook.
-|-
-| Post Attempt Evaluation display || passage only, passage and scores only, passage scores and errors|| What to show students on the review page, after they have attempted and received a machine or human evaluation.
-|-
-| Post Attempt Link to next activity|| (optional) a link to an activity the student should proceed to after finishing || This allows a teacher to follow up a Read Aloud activity with a related task, such as a comprehension quiz.
-|}