Think. Try. Transform. #3

Text-to-speech (TTS): AI Solutions for the Classroom

Think.

Oral tradition is the way in which information has passed between people for the vast majority of human history. In fact, writing has only existed for roughly 6000 years. Therefore, from an evolutionary perspective our brains are primarily evolved to comprehend the spoken word, and indeed, it is through these mechanisms that we can comprehend the written word. Despite the very brief period of time humans have been documenting information through the medium of writing, the ability to comprehend information seems to be roughly even when consumed audibly or in written form. Neuroimaging of the brain ‘suggest that the representation of language semantics is independent of the sensory modality through which the semantic information is received.’

Today, both audiobooks and podcasting are incredibly popular and their utilisation in the classroom has become increasingly common. Many teachers will use a variety of mediums to convey information: texts, websites, video, audio, podcasts, audiobooks and direct instruction (teacher voice).

But what is the data for the utility of audio resources for students?

In a review of 32 journals addressing traditional reading and the use of audiobooks, two key findings emerged:

• ‘[It was] shown that audiobooks by themselves tended to facilitate comprehension better than print when students were younger’

• [For] struggling readers and [EAL pupils], the co-presentation of audiobooks with print proved better for comprehension than print alone

There is, however, evidence that for older students, comprehending information is more effective through reading than it is through audio resources (podcasts, for example).

There is, like many pedagogical techniques, a wide variety of academic research, with varying conclusions about the effectiveness of different media on learning. But, as teachers, I believe we know intuitively that multimodal approaches are certainly beneficial to learners, creating more dynamic classroom spaces and providing a breadth of resources which reflects the way information is disseminated and consumed in the ‘real’ world.

Therefore, we ought not to default to one medium of transmitting information in the classroom. And with AI it offers opportunities for the production of highly effective multimodal resources.

‘Our richest experiences will come not from treating print and audio interchangeably, but from understanding the differences between them and figuring out how to use them to our advantage — all in the service of hearing what writers are actually trying to tell us.’

Daniel Willingham | Is Listening to a Book the Same Thing as Reading It?

Try.

Using AI to produce text-to-speech (TTS) resources is a really effective use-case for this technology. It has the potential to offer a breadth of resources that would have otherwise been difficult or expensive to acquire.

Some examples of resources that can be created:

• Podcasts

• Audiobooks

• Concept explainers

• Interactive lessons

• Note taking resources

• Character profiles

• Interviews with key figures

I have found ElevenLabs to be a really effective TTS AI tool, with a wide variety of voices to choose from and a 2500 character limit (which works out to roughly 2 minutes of speech). If you opt to pay, the character limit increases substantially and users can use their own voice for TTS resources.

An example of how it can be deployed in the classroom is to provide TTS resources that provide context for longer novels. At primary level, we often want to challenge pupils with difficult texts, delving into key extracts. This leaves open the potential for large contextual gaps, which if closed, would lead to a better understanding. Furthermore, TTS resources could serve as effective pre teaching materials, covering key details about characters, plot, settings and themes, or covering key knowledge for upcoming units of work.

I have shared an example of creating TTS resources using AI in these two LinkedIn posts.

Here is an example of a Podcast I created for an introduction to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

A few tips:

• When drafting the ‘text’, ask the AI to remove all stage direction or narrative devices as these will be read verbatim when using ElevenLabs

• With ChatGPT Plus, Bard and Claude, you can upload PDFs which the AI can use as a knowledge base (training data) for generating novel content. Upload course material, or even free PDF versions of texts if they are legally available (for example, much of Dickens’ work can be downloaded for free as a PDF).

• Ask the AI to include direct quotations from uploaded material.

• Take note of the character limitations for your chosen TTS tool and include this detail in your prompts.

• Iterate on various prompts to get your desired outcome; the first output is seldom perfect.

• Experiment with different voices. They are not all equal.

• Gauge student voice - ask the students what resources they would like to have audio versions of, or provide dual versions (text and audio)

AI Literacy:

There is also a great opportunity to discuss TTS tools as part of AI Literacy. The ability to create these resources, which includes the potential to clone voices, opens up a wide range of ethical questions that would be worth discussing in class. Topics for discussing include:

• Deep fakes and misinformation

• Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

• Economic impact (job loss for narrators etc.)

• Bias and discrimination

Note: I highly recommend the AI Literacy resources created by Study Hall - check them out here.

Transform.

TTS technology, fuelled by AI, is poised to revolutionise education, offering a multitude of benefits for both students and teachers. Here are seven key ways TTS will transform the experience of both students and teachers:

1. Customised Learning: TTS technology enables the creation of personalised learning experiences, particularly beneficial for students with specific needs such as SEND or EAL.

2. Increased Access to Diverse Resources: By simplifying the production of resources, TTS makes it more feasible to offer a wider range of learning aids, from audiobooks to interactive lessons.

3. Enhancing Engagement and Comprehension: Transforming text into audio can make challenging subjects more accessible and engaging, helping students better grasp complex concepts.

4. Creative and Immersive Learning: Imagine an English class where students not only read 'Macbeth' but also listen to an AI-generated podcast discussing its themes. TTS opens doors to such innovative and immersive educational experiences.

5. Supporting Independent Learning: With TTS resources, students can learn at their own pace, fostering independence and self-guided exploration of subjects.

6. Teacher Creativity: Creating TTS resources encourages teachers to be creative, thinking about alternative ways to present information to their students.

7. Teacher Workload: Once teachers have got used to creating TTS resources, it will have an impact on their workload as they will be able to generate high quality resources with increased speed.