DECODING
Annotation
Overview
An annotation tool is a tool which allows the user to make additions to a document, image, or other file without changing the original file. Annotations can be physical, such as a post-it note, but most are electronic and provide the ability to add stamps, text comments, and highlighter to an online document. Annotations provide a unique educational advantage as students can share ideas while preserving originality and integrity of their work.
Annotations have a substantial research base and it has been shown in general students who annotate their work attain more academic success, understood what they learned more deeply, and score higher on tests than students who do not make annotations (Slotte and Lonka, 1999). More specifically, annotation tools have been shown to increase class participation and motivation (Wu-Yien et al., 2007). Annotations also improve organization of work and promote attention (Yang et al., 2004; Davis & Huttenlocher, 1995). One of the most rigorous findings is annotations improve reading comprehension and critical thinking (Archibald, 2010; Mendenhall & Author, 2010). Annotations have also been demonstrated to improve writing and cause students to rely less on summarization and more on critical evaluation (Wolfe, 2008). Finally, as annotations are inherently somewhat collaborative, as they involve making visual changes to work, they have been shown to positively affect the academic performance of not just the user, but the user’s peers (Kawase et al., 2009).
Electronic annotations are generally subcategorized into social annotations and personal annotations, because many annotations are internet dependent and contain sharing tools. Social annotation programs are generally superior to personal annotations, with reasons cited being the increased motivation derived from group collaboration (Novak, Razzouk & Johnson, 2012). Annotations in a group discussion form have been compared empirically to using other online collaborative tools, such as discussion boards and message boards, and students using annotations made comments more frequently that were more technical and more specific (Brush et al, 2002).
Annotations have significant variability in how they are positioned, which affects use. The simplest annotations will cause footnotes to appear at the bottom of the screen with the student’s comments. These annotations are the weakest, and tend to be forgotten or missed (Zellweger et al, 2000), and actually reduce note taking because of increased eye travel distance across the page (van Ostendorp, 1996). Post-it note format annotations and interlinear annotations (notes appear between lines of text) are relatively effective for sharing works in progress, but have been shown to get confused with primary text when working with published material (Cabanac et al, 2007). Margin-based annotations have the least general drawbacks and make the most use of screen real estate (Wolfe, 2008).
The type of annotation made also affects how much use will be derived. Wolfe (2008) found annotated texts provoked 50% more comments than non-annotated texts, and students were significantly more likely to comment about a passage that included both positive and negative annotations. Furthermore, the types of comments students made flipped from mostly comprehension and little critical evaluation to mostly critical evaluation when both positive and negative annotations were provided with a reading passage; this effect was also more pronounced in novice readers than experienced readers (Wolfe, 2008).
There is debate in the literature over how much personal annotations help over merely quiet reading. A meta analysis by Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson (2012, citing Kirschner, Paas, & Kirschner, 2009; Laughlin, Bonner, & Miner, 2006) showed as a general rule personal annotations do not increase critical thinking skills and reading comprehension any more than reading the textbook alone, because they lacked a collaborative social component. This supports the Wolfe meta study which found various effects by giving students pre-annotated work, which is by design somewhat collaborative in itself.
Annotations have a steep learning curve; Archibald (2010) found students performance using annotations was weaker than controls in the short term, but pulled ahead of controls significantly after a one-month delay. This study cited elevated cognitive load and a need for more instructional time to adapt to using annotations. These findings are supported in other findings, where students cited reading annotations as distracting and overwhelming (Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson, 2011). It was also found some students using collaborative annotations were distracted by the social dimension and failed to make and use the annotations; this trend was seen in students with weaker social skills and weaker time management skills (Gao and Johnson). As a general rule, Novak, Razzouk, and Johnson recommend a minimum of 4 hours of training before seeing a positive return on annotation use.
Annotations are a highly researched and effective tool that improve most areas of learning, particularly comprehension and critical thinking. Annotated readings provide increased comprehension, particularly to novice readers. Making annotations one’s self has an increased benefit to already skilled students. Annotations have a steep learning curve and can actually impair performance when building up the skills to incorporate them. Despite this, most students display significantly increased motivation and engagement when making annotations or reading texts that are annotated. Social annotation technology is consistently superior to personal technology, with the possible exception of students that are highly distractible. Margin-based annotations are superior to footnotes and in-text stickies. The recommended use for annotations is therefore not as a quick-fix, but an ongoing support to push higher level cognitive skills.
Research Rating: There is empirical evidence, both experimental and quasi experimental to substantiate how annotations are used. However, younger children have significantly less data.
Advantages:
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Highly researched
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Enhance critical thinking and comprehension
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Benefit novice and advanced readers in different ways
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Social dimension enhances motivation for students
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Usually very cheap to implement
Disadvantages:
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Learning curve, take instruction from teachers and student skill to implement, to the point of significantly decreasing performance when first implementing
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Without the collaborative social dimension, positive effects are less robust
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Best annotation tools require electronic texts
To Consider
Most of the studies cited are on older students. Because annotations are affecting higher order skills (critical thinking, meta cognition), they are recommended for high school and older students. Annotations also tend to clutter the page, which causes issues with students who suffer from distraction removal difficulties and focusing problems (such as ADHD).
Special Consideration: Workflow
Product | Price | OS Compatibility | Internet Reliance | Features | Optimized Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Streamer | Free trial, $/month subscription | Windows, Mac, Chrome | Yes | Captioning, Note-taking, Translation into almost any language, Streaming, and Speech generation; encrypted protocol for private information | Meetings, conferences and communication needs for personal, professional, and school use |
MathType | $, Free Trial | Windows, Mac, Chrome | No | Select equations from menu | Installed in Google Docs |
OneNote Equation | $$ | Windows, Mac | Yes | Select and draw equations | |
Mobi 3 | $$$$ | Windows | No | Tablet with various tools, including picture library, ability to make phone calls with synthetic text, and home appliance control | |
Allora 2 | $$$$ | N/A | No | Personal keypad with text screen and text-to-speech software, allowing typing phrases to be spoken by the tool. | |
GoTalk | $$$$ | iOS | No | Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions | |
Augmentive Picture Books | $$ | N/A | No | Physical bag with velcro or pockets and cards with pictures for making requests | |
Proloquo2Go | $$$$ | iOS | No | Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions | |
TobiiDynavox | $$$$ | N/A | No | Tablet device; uses touch-pad and eye tracking to receive input from users and generate speech. | Only available by referral |
Microsoft Translate | $$, Free Trial | Mac, Windows, Chrome | Yes | Part of Microsoft Cognitive Services, conducts real time translation of speech and text on websites, programs, dictated information, or given document | All purpose, versatile |
PowerPoint | $$ | Windows, Mac, Chrome | Yes | Present live captioning and subtitles in power point slides. Customization of caption style and automatic, real-time captions in 12 spoken languages | Professional presentations, accessibility compliance |
Rocket Book | $$$ | Any | Yes | Smart notebook that uploads notes online, can scan, send directly as email, and is searchable | Sync between different online systems, easy transcription, scanning and email |
Read and Write for Chrome | $$$ | Chrome | Yes | Suite of many features and technologies. | Reading documents in Google platforms, including Google Docs and Google Classroom. |
Popplet | $ | Web, iOS | Yes | Easily create colorful maps made of text boxes and link together | Organization of information, flexible for all ages |
Search Engine Autocomplete | Free | Any browser | Yes | A basic feature of most search engines such as Google. Press space bar after a target word or phrase to see list of commonly associated topics based on internet searches. Does not provide definitions. | Basic internet proficiency required. Tends to give generic results. Adult filtering recommended. |
Question Analyzer | $$ | Any browser | Yes | Returns a list of commonly asked questions about a target word or phrase. | Uses internet trend data. Good for modern topics or public knowledge. Simple interface. |
AnswerThePublic | Free | Any browser | Yes | Generates list of questions sorted into questions, associations, and comparisons based on target word or phrase. Clicking on any question will start a google search. Presented as visual map or list. | Large volume of results, not intuitive for children. Good for developing an established topic for highschoolers and above. |
Moz | Free, $$ | Any browser | Yes | Generates phrases related to input phrases based on internet searches. Adds questions, common searches, or similar topics. Provides links. | Adults. Needs to be taught; not intuitive for children. Helps refine search terms; find better keywords. |
DiY | Free | No | PDF with examples and lists of ways to invert and innovate existing concepts. | When topic is not known or vague. Doesn't use keywords. | |
Portent Idea Generator | Free | Any browser | Yes | Often returns pop-culture. Generates random opinions or ways of tackling a target idea. Accepts phrases and single words. | For when a topic is already known, choosing an attitude, stance, or approach to the topic. Often gives silly answers. Not good for research. |
Word Association Network | Free | All browsers | Yes | Generates massive list based on a single word, sorted by verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Cannot filter to reduce volume. Large database, accepts most words. Provides pictures, definitions of target word. Words listed by relevance. | Research and writing with keywords. Older students, advanced students. Provides high volume of data to search through. Doesn't generate repeat words. |
Word Storm | Free | Any browser, requires flash | Yes | Creates a map of related words to a target. Closer words are more relevant. Can click on any word to create a new search about that target. Exportable as picture. | General or simple writing assignments. Visually easy to use. Single words only. Database limited, often won't accept complex or unusual words. |
Essay Jack | $/month (single license), $$$/month (bulk for classrooms) | Any web browser | Yes | Sentence starting prompts, database of simple writing tips, example/model statements and essays; collaboration and online group editing, shared reviewing | Grade 8 to university; peer to peer reviewing and sharing |
Scanning Pens | $$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Pocket-sized Reads text aloud in English, Spanish or French | |
Mechanical Mouse | $ | N/A | No | Can be wired or wireless; available at most general stores | |
Wheelchair | Consult a doctor or physiotherapist when purchasing a wheelchair | ||||
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit | $$$$ | Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury. | ||
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking Rehabilitation | $$$$ | Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities | ||
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant | $$$$ | 100m 10mins (On flat ground) | To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking. | ||
Oxford Picture Dictioary | $$$ | All | No | 13 bilingual versions; website or app | |
Adobe Scan | Free | All | App for devices | ||
Microsoft Lens | Free | Windows, MAC | App for devices | ||
TreeSize | Free | Windows | Yes | Clickable files similar to windows displays hard drive in branching trees | |
BumpTop | Free | Windows, iOS | No | Creates a virtual desk surface; software is no longer being developed but can still be downloaded | Intended for touch screens |
Drop Box | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 2GB of storage free | |
iCloud Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS | Yes | 5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Integrated into Apple Products |
Google Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | 15GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Multi-user Collaboration. Integrates with Google Classroom |
Box | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 10GB of storage, more to pay | Compatible with other programs |
Microsoft One Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Multi-user Collaboration |
Cram | Free | Any browser | No | Share custom made flash cards through Google Drive or print out cards | |
Paper Card | $ | N/A | No | When printing / physical cards are preferred | |
Microsoft Word | $$ | Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | As part of office 365 suite | |
MapFactor | Free | Android, iOS, Windows | Yes | Voice controlled, voice directions | App for phone / tablet |
Google Maps | Free | All | No | Voice controlled, voice directions | Desktop (website) or app (phone / tablet) |
Waze | Free | Android, iOS, Windows | Yes | Voice controlled, voice directions | App for phone / tablet |
To Doist | $ | iOS, Android | Yes | ||
Any ToDo | $ | iOS, Android | Yes | ||
Google Keep | Free | iOS, Android, Windows, Chrome | Yes | For Android and Windows users | |
Apple Reminders | Free | iOS | Yes | For iPhone users | |
Microsoft Outlook | Free with Office 365 | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices | Sync with Microsoft products; ideal for office work |
Apple Calendar | Free | Mac, iOS | Yes | Sync between multiple devices | Sync with all apple devices; ideal for personal work |
Google Calendar | Free | Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome, Android | Yes | Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices | Sync with gmail and all google accounts; ideal for personal or classrooms |
Paper Agenda | $ | N/A | No | Various sizes of paper agendas; hardback and paperback | Personal organization and planning, cheap |
Crayola | $ | N/A | No | Wide range of color options for pens, pencils, markers, crayons | |
Incompete | Fre | All browsers | Yes | Generate custom free graph paper through website | Hand written graphing assignments; unique grid displays |
iPad | $$$-$$$$ | Mac / iOS | No | Digitizer for iPad tablet | Hybrid between laptop and phone, good for sharing and multiple users |
Google Pay | Free | All browsers | Yes | Tracks all spending linked to google account; can connect debit and banks transactions | |
Mint | Free | iOS, Android, Windows | No | Can connect different credit cards, banks, spending patterns into one central app | Personal spending and budgeting |
Apple Pay | Free | iOS | No | App which tracks spending, savings | Personal spending and budgeting |
Khan Academy | Free; by donation | All | Yes | Thousands of math problems sorted by grades 1-8 | |
Prodigy | Free | All | Yes | 1200 math skills for grades 1-8 with classroom student tracking and feedback | Classroom |
IXL | Free | All | Yes | Website features hundreds of math problems for each grade from K to 12 | Home practice |
Dragon | $$-$$$ | Windows | One of the most advanced voice recognition software on the market | Easily compatible with external programs such as Microsoft Office, major browsers and social media services. Highly practical. | |
Phillips Voice Tracer | $$$ | N/A | No | Handheld device | Personal dictation, 360 sensitivity for group meetings and multiple speakers |
Keyboarding Without Tears | $-$$ | All | No | Levels sorted by grade level, very child friendly progression through levels | Early keyboarding practice, grades K-5 |
CoWriter | $, Subscription | Chrome Plugin | Yes | Includes translation and speech recognition | |
Word Talk | Free | Windows | No | Speak incorrect words outloud and correct them | Word plugin |
vBookz | $ | iOS, Mac | No | 16 languages, interactive cursor for readers to control generated speech and rate, small size optimized for mobile devices | PDFs on mobile devices |
Read and Write | $$ (personal copy) | All | No | Highlight and comment on text and documents | Suite of products, includes Text to Speech, Word Prediction, Personal Dictionary, many other features |
iAnnotate | $ | iOS, Mac | No | App that add notes and comments to documents, PDFs, excel, images, excels, and web pages | Personal mobile devices |
Kami | $/year | All | Yes | Browser plugin, can highlight, paste notes, text, images, underline on PDFs and text documents | Classrooms and schools; purchase per year supports 150 students |
Acapela Voice | $ | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | No | Over 100 synthetic voices in 30 languages | |
Mac iOS Voices | Free | Mac, iOS | No | Mac products come with default voices | |
Microsoft Voices | Free | Windows | No | Microsoft products come with default voices | |
NextUp | $ | Windows | No | Variety of different voices and accents in many languages | Desktop and laptops |
Tumble Books | Subscription, $$$/year | Download, Cloud | 1100 books for grades K-6, multiple languages, supplementary quizzes, lesson ideas and videos | School age children | |
Onyx Boox | $$$$ | | Anywhere | ||
Rescue Time | Free to $$$ | Mac | Set daily goals. Receive a productivity score. | ||
Dasung E-Ink Paperlike Pro | $$$$ | Windows | No | Multiple display modes | Outdoor environments |
Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 3 | $$$ | Windows | No | Night-mode | Anywhere |
Kobo Clara HD | $$$ | Windows | No | Colour changing front light | Anywhere |
Amazon Kindle Oasis | $$$ | Windows | Yes | Waterproof | Anywhere |
Amazon Kindle | $$$ | Windows | Yes | No Backlight | Well-lit room |
Focus At Will | Free to $$$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | Yes | Use with headphones | |
Spotify | Free to $$$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | No | ||
Brain.fm | Free to $ | Windows Mac iOS Android | No | Use with headphones | |
Noisli | Free to $$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | Yes | ||
One Focus | $$ | Mac | All browsers | ||
Waste No Time | Free | Windows | Website and app blocker. | Chrome and Safari | |
Focal Filter | Free | Windows | All browsers | ||
Freedom | $$ | Mac Windows iOS Android | Website and app blocker. Blocked list is synchronized between devices. | All browsers | |
Stay Focused | Free | Mac Windows Linux | Can be a complete block or timed limit | Chrome | |
Qustodio | $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac Kindle Nook | Controlled by parents | ||
Limitly Screen Time Control | Free | Android | Controlled by parents | ||
Screen Limit | Free to $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac | Can be synchronized between multiple devices. Controlled by parents. | ||
Time Doctor | $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac | Controlled by students or parents | ||
iOS 12 | Free | iOS | Controlled by students | ||
Gyrobi | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Fidget Foot Band | $ | N/A | N/A | Must be tied to a chair | |
Thinking Putty | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Fidget Puzzle | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Stress Ball | $$ | N/A | N/A | ||
Sony WH-1000XM2 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 10 hours of play. | Wireless. |
AKG N60NC Wireless | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 15 hours of play. | Wireless. Compactable, travel friendly. |
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC | $$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Wireless. Headband lacks padding. May be uncomfortable for long term use. |
Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Wireless. Styling may not be comfortable for everyone. Should try on before purchasing. |
Bose Quiet Comfort 2015 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Not wireless. |
No Products Available | | Currently we have no specific product examples. This may be because the technology is very new, there are far too many products to provide a concise list (e.g. laptops), or it doesn't make sense to list (e.g. carbon paper) | |||
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Legs, 100m 10mins (On flat ground) | To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking. |
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Legs Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities |
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Arms, Torso, Legs | Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury. |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | ||
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Allows users to create and save custom writing templates. | Classrooms. Teachers create templates for student use. |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Built into a word processor, optimal for drafting documents. | |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | No | Capture a digital note and annotate with free-form drawing tool, sticky notes, text; can add music, sounds, images and basically anything else to notes | Alongside other Microsoft software (Word, Excel, etc) |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Takes texts from locked images and pulls them into a separate viewing window. Original text formatting is not preserved. | Text documents with little to no spatial elements/formatting (e.g. a shopping list). |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | High voice quality available. Cloud sharing available. | Reading documents. |
ScanSnap SV600 | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Book, Single Sided | ||
Scanmarker Air Pen Scanner | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Pen, Single Sided | ||
IRIScan Book 5 WiFi | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Wand, Single Sided | ||
ScanSnap iX500 Color Duplex Desk | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Feed, Double Sided | ||
Brother ImageCenter ADS-3600W | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Flatbed Scanner, Single Sided | ||
Cubing | Students are asked to consider a topic from multiple different perspectives. Students are given a cube with different activities on each side and roll the cube 2-4 times to complete each activity. | ||||
About-Point | This summarizing strategy allows students to organize their writing based on the main idea and supporting details. | Reading | |||
TOWER + EDITS | Acronym: Think, Organize, Write, Edit, Rewrite, and Embellish, Delete, Insert corrections, Tally progress, Submit grading | Progress monitoring and metacognition | |||
Four Square Writing | A rectangle is drawn and divided into four smaller rectangles of equal size. In the centre of the shape an additional rectangle is drawn, making a total of 5 rectangles. Students are required to write the topic sentence in the middle rectangle, three supporting sentences in the other rectangles, and finally a summary sentence in the bottom right rectangle. | This technique is used for individual paragraphs. | |||
Clicker Docs | $$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | App can be modified for each individual’s needs |
Docs Plus | $$$$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects |
Co:Writer Universal | $, Subscription | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Android | Yes | Customizable word list | Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects |
Word Q | $$$-$$$$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | iPad features are limited, best on Mac or Windows PCs |
Google Docs | Free | Chrome | Yes | Cloud computing | |
Microsoft 365 | $$, Subscription | Chrome | Yes | Cloud computing | |
Pages | Free | Mac | No | Local hard drive | |
Microsoft Word | $$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Local hard drive | |
Infogalactic | Free | All browsers | Yes | Subject specific information | |
Wikia | Free | All browsers | Yes | Pop-culture and gaming news | |
Encyclopedia Britannica | Free | All browsers | Yes | Encyclopedia | |
Wikipedia | Free | All browsers | Yes | Encyclopedia | |
Doppel | $$$ | N/A | No | Vibrations simulate heartbeat to function as mood regulator | |
Spire | $$$ | N/A | No | Measures breathing and heart rate; alerts during periods of high stress | |
Thync | $$$$ | N/A | No | Can be activated to encourage mood to a “relaxing” state or “heightened” state | |
Watchminder | $$ | N/A | No | Delivers mild, silent vibration and text message at period times throughout day | |
Apple Watch | $$$ | N/A | No | Monitors various bodily signals relating to fitness: heart rate, blood pressure; can set goals, signal thresholds | |
Pilot Translation App | $$$ | Mobile devices, pending 2018 | Yes | Ear pieces for conversation or lecture dyads; language learning app works independently on mobile devices and computers | |
Google Translate | Free | Android | No | Mobile devices and computers | |
iTranslate Converse | Free | iOS | No | Iphone, Apple watch | |
BrailleTranslate.org | Free | Any browser | Yes | Short Texts or Phrases | |
Robobraille.org | Free | Any browser | Yes | Short Texts or Documents | |
Jaws | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
DBT Duxbury | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
Hal Screen Reader | $$$$ | Windows | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
Ectaco | $$$ | N/A | No | For short phrases; travel communication; spoken or text input, spoken and text output | |
Premier Literacy | $$$$ | Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome | No | Literacy Productivity | |
Read and Write Gold | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Suite of many features and technologies | Support independent student research |
Widgit Go | $$$ | iOS | No | English, French, Spanish | |
Widgit Online | $$$, Subscription | All browsers | Yes | ||
Pixwriter | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | English, Spanish | |
Clicker5 | $$$$ | Windows, iOS | No | ||
Symwriter 2 | $$$ | Windows | No | English, French | |
Premier Assistive | $$$$ | Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Reading – Advanced OCR and TTS | |
WYNN | $$$$ | Mac, iOS | No | Reading – Study tool, TTS and OCR. | |
Read and Write Gold | $$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | No | | Reading and Writing – Limited capacity with PDFs |
Kurzweil | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Suite of many products | Easy to use, wide range of tools, great highlighting function. |
Mindomo | Free, $$$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS, | No | Has an outline function built in | |
Inspiration / Kidspiration | $$-$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Has both templates for typical writing tasks and an outline function | |
Microsoft Word | $$$-$$$$ | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS, Android | No | Using bullets can be used to create an outline and templates can be downloaded online | |
Draft Builder | $$$ | Windows, Mac, Chrome | No | Breaks the writing process into three manageable steps | |
Google Sheets | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | Yes | Available for mobile | Collaborative spreadsheet |
Numbers | Free | Mac, iOS | No | Available for mobile | Spreadsheet App |
Microsoft Excel | Free, $$-$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | Available for mobile | Electronic graphing and data input tool |
Zoho Sheet | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | Available for mobile | Cloud based collaborative spreadsheet |
Digital Modulation (DM) System | $$$$ | Achieves the same purpose as FM systems, but uses digital rather than analog radio waves to transmit sound. Improved sound quality, higher intelligibility, reduced noise and a shorter delay between message transmission and reception. | |||
Dynamic Personal FM System | $$$$ | Rather than receiving a fixed FM amplification , this device is sensitive to the noise level in classrooms and adjusts the individual’s FM in response. This allows for adaptability to changing noise levels. | |||
Desktop FM System Receiver | $$$$ | Listeners receive the auditory signal through a compact device that can be worn. Typically used for children with APD who do not use a hearing aid or cochlear implant. | |||
Personal FM System Receiver | $$$$ | Listeners receive the auditory signal directly to their personal hearing aid or cochlear implant processor. | |||
Dynamic Soundfield Amplification System | $$$$ | ||||
Classroom Sound Field Amplification System | $$$$ | ||||
iPhone 6 | $$$ | iOS 8 | Some features | 16+ GB, 4.7" screen, average camera, 720x1334 resolution, 7.5 hours constant use of battery | |
Vodaphone Smart V8 | $$ | Android 7 | Some features | 32+ GB, 5.5" screen, Good camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery | |
Lenovo 2 | $$ | Android 6 | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.5" screen, average camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 3 days moderate use of battery | |
Redmi Note 3 | $$ | Modified Android | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.5" screen, Poor camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery | |
Samsung Note 8 | $$$$ | Android 8 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2960x1440 resolution, 9.5 hours constant battery use | |
Pixel 2 | $$$ | Android 8 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.0" screen, Excellent camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 9 hours of constant battery use | |
iPhone X | $$$$ | iOS 11 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2436x1125 resolution, 2 days moderate use of battery | |
Lumia 640 | $$ | Windows 8.1 | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.0" screen, average camera, 720x1280 resolution, 30 hours constant use of battery | |
MAGic | $$$$ | Windows | No | Up to 60x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast | |
Zoomtext Magnifier | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Up to 36x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast | |
Windows Magnifier | Free | Windows | No | Up to 4x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast | |
MAC Zoom | Free | Mac | No | Up to 40x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast | |
Online Utility | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Identifying difficult words, to help instructors prepare texts | |
Simplish | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Poor simplification but creates list of difficult word definitions | |
Rewordify | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Decode short passages and highlight changes | |
Simple English Wikipedia | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Personal Research | |
Optically Controlled inferace | See our page on Eye Gaze Systems | ||||
Head-Controlled Interface | A head-mounted camera may be used as an alternative pointing device for people with limited hand/arm movement and control | ||||
Mouse Pen | Allows the user to hold a pen-shaped device in their hand and use it to move around the device screen. | ||||
Touchscreen | Touchscreens are very commonly available and allow users to interact with their device by touching the screen where they would like to interact with the device. | ||||
Trackpad | Trackpads are rectangular sections typically found on laptops and are touch-sensitive, allowing the user to use their fingers to move a cursor around a computer screen. | ||||
Trackball | | See our page on trackballs | |||
Joystick | See our page on joysticks | ||||
Exact prices change frequently, which is why only approximate ranges are listed.
$ - Under $5
$$ - Between $6 and $50
$$$ - Between $51 and $250
$$$$ - Over $250
References
Archibald, T. N. (2010). The effect of the integration of social annotation technology, first principles of instruction, and team-based learning on students' reading comprehension, critical thinking, and meta cognitive skills. PhD Dissertation, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.
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Written by Francis Wall, Last Revision March 2018
Notation Format