Using the WiiMote for Reading

| tags: blind, enabling technology, motor impaired, ideas, literacy

Tricia from Texas wrote to say:

Who would benefit? students with visual impairment – and students that need more cuing than they get from visual supports on the printed page

Use vibration feedback in TTS, screen readers, digital auditory text

  • To cue for bold text, boxed info, important information
  • Software could “read” the text/page and insert vibration to cue the student

But more importantly, to allow the student to tag the auditory text – when they “re-read” the text, the tags trigger vibration. Use different types of vibration (intensity, pattern, etc) for different types of tags.

  • Tag as a highlighter, tag a phrase or a paragraph
  • Tag specific info they need to capture (main characters, literary action)
  • Tag for references
  • Tag as notetaking – retrieve only tagged information for later?

Karen suggested long ago and I failed to blog about it, that the WiiMote could be useful for "keeping beat with reading. Kid reads along with program, keeps beat. Shakes the controller on the key words. That way you know the kid is reading."

Seems to me there is great synergy between these ideas. This would make a great student research project.