Study Tools Software Contents

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Study Tools Software

The Study Tools folder provides a range of resources to help you with your studies. While most of the resources are designed to help students with additional support needs, they can benefit everyone. The resources include:

• Mind mapping software to help you plan, visualize and structure essays. • Text to speech so you can have your written work read aloud – great for proof

reading.

• Spell checking tools to help with spelling.

• Coloured overlays to help you customise font and background colours. • Referencing tools to help you capture and store information such as URLs. There is also software to convert materials to alternative formats such as audio, large print and Daisy, a format which combines both speech and navigation.

Which software should I use?

The software you use will depend on your personal needs. We have therefore provided a range of software so you can choose between different applications. Below is a brief overview of the software.

Mind Mapping: Inspiration and Mind View

Mind View is mind mapping program to help you to plan, construct and structure essays and/or projects. When you have completed the mind map you can export it to Word or PowerPoint so you can continue to develop and extend your essay/project.

Figure 1: Mind mapping can help to plan essays.

Inspiration is another mind mapping program, similar to Mind View. We recommend that you look at both programs so you can choose which one suits your needs best.

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Reading Support: ClaroRead and Read&Write

Tools that can help with reading include changing background and font colours, font styles and size and changing line spacing. There are also rulers (a virtual ruler on your screen) which can help with tracking single or multiple lines of text. Text-to-speech (usually combined with synchronised word highlighting) provides auditory support so you can see and hear text on your computer screen.

Figure 2: ClaroRead provides options for line and character spacing. ClaroView

ClaroView can change background colours by placing a coloured filter over a Word document, Internet browser or text documents and applications.

Figure 3: ClaroView uses a colour filter to change desktop colours.

The Claro icons look similar to the illustration below. Alternatively you can launch ClaroView from the ‘Extras’ button on the ClaroRead toolbar.

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ScreenRuler

ScreenRuler places a virtual ruler on your desktop which can help to track information. ScreenRuler has options to magnify text, change the mouse pointer and to darken sections of the desktop to minimize distractions which can be helpful when reading a large amount of text.

Figure 4: ScreenRuler can help to track information.

To use ClaroView go to the Windows Start menu and select All Programs, Applications, Core and ClaroRead 5.5. Alternatively you can launch ScreenRuler from the ‘Extras’ button on the ClaroRead toolbar.

Writing Support: ClaroRead and Read&Write

Both ClaroRead and Read&Write have text-to-speech which reads aloud information, either from a Word document, web page or other text applications. Both programs offer features for text to be read in different ways, e.g. when the mouse pointer hovers over text, selecting areas of text such as individual sentences, paragraphs etc. Text-to-speech can be useful for both reading and writing.

If you want to use text-to-speech to help with writing you can adjust the settings to read out characters, words, sentences etc. Both ClaroRead and Read&Write read aloud spelling mistakes and provide alternative spellings which you can listen to before choosing the most appropriate spelling.

Read&Write features a ‘Spell as I type’ which prompts or alerts you to spelling mistakes. You can then look for and listen to the correct spelling option from a list of possible corrections.

Both programs feature a ‘Green’ play button on the floating toolbar to enable speech.

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Figure 5: ClaroRead and Read&Write can help with reading and writing. Other tools to support writing

As well as some of the tools highlighted above both programs provide additional tools such as word prediction (the Blue Crystal ball in Read&Write and Settings/Prediction in ClaroRead).

Word Prediction

Word prediction can help to increase typing speed and accuracy as words are predicted after the first or second characters are typed.

Homophones

Homophones are words which sound or look similar, such as ‘there’, ‘their’ and/or ‘they’re’ or ‘where’ and ‘were’ etc. ClaroRead and Read&Write will identify possible homophones, highlighting each word providing alternatives.

Proof reading

Proof reading is also an essential part of studying, particularly when submitting essays or projects which are graded and form part of your overall mark. Before you submit your essay make sure that you have checked there are no spelling mistakes and that your writing is clear and succinct. The ‘Green’ play button on ClaroRead and Read&Write is a useful study aid to help with proof reading.

WordTalk

WordTalk is an Add-In for Microsoft Word – you can find it on the Add-In part of Word’s Ribbon.

The main features of WordTalk include:

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• Speaking the text of the Word document, • Highlighting the text as it goes,

• Choose to Speak the entire document, paragraph, sentence or just a word, • Talking dictionary to help decide which word spelling is most appropriate, • Adjust the highlight colours,

• Change the voice and the speed of the speech,

• Convert text to speech and save as a .wav or .mp3 file.

Scottish Voices

In order for a computer to read text aloud it requires synthetic speech. Over the years synthetic speech as improved a great deal. Modern computer voices sound very ‘human’ mainly because they are developed on the basis of real speech. Scottish Heather and Stuart are two good examples of natural sounding voices.

Once you have installed the voices they will appear in most of the reading and writing programs, such as WordTalk and ClaroRead. If you would prefer another voice you can purchase them from companies such as Cereproc: www.cereproc.com/: voices cost from as little as £10.00. There is also a large selection of English, Irish and European voices.

Daisy

Daisy is the Digital Accessible Information System: www.daisy.org a world-wide consortium which supports people with reading disabilities. Daisy programs such as Save As Daisy converts Word documents to audio with built-in navigation. Documents that have been converted to audio require a software program to read or play the audio, i.e. Amis.

You can find out more about Daisy by watching this YouTube tutorial:

http://bit.ly/1kM4yDk

Contact

If you have any enquiries or would like to discuss training please contact Sheena Hardie: [email protected] (0131 455 2919) or Craig Mill: [email protected].

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