Assistive Technology Resource Center ReadSpeaker for Canvas

ReadSpeaker is a reading and studying tool for Canvas. The suite includes four products:

• ReadSpeaker webReader (Canvas content)
• docReader (Document reader – within Canvas window)
• TextAid (Document reader – opens in new window from Canvas)
• TextAid Extension (Other browser content, including OER textbooks)

These tools are available for all students and faculty to use.

Popular Features

• Online text to speech (TTS) for listening to text
• Converts text to mp3
• Highlights words and sentences as it reads the text
• Voice adjustments (speed, voice, language)
• Visual adjustments (fonts, sizes, background colors)
• Annotation features (collecting highlights for studying)

Pilot Year

Colorado State University has extended the ReadSpeaker pilot for the academic year 2023-2024. During this time, the ATRC would appreciate any feedback on your experience with the tools. This will help us determine whether to renew the software going forward.

If you have questions or feedback about any of these tools, please contact the ATRC.

ReadSpeaker is a toolbar that you can use to read web content in Canvas. This excludes documents that have been uploaded (see docReader for this feature).

Note: ReadSpeaker is not yet available in the Canvas mobile app. It is only available in a browser.

For additional video tutorials on ReadSpeaker, see the following YouTube playlists:

• ReadSpeaker Training for Canvas
• Using ReadSpeaker to Read Canvas Quiz Questions
• ReadSpeaker New Quiz Engine Questions: How-to Videos

With docReader, you can use text-to-speech on documents that have been uploaded to Canvas without having to download them or import them into another program. Note that this feature will only work with PDFs that have text recognized in them.

Just press the play icon next to a document to open it with docReader:

See the following video for an introduction to using docReader in Canvas.

For additional video tutorials on docReader, see the following YouTube playlist:

• ReadSpeaker docReader 4.9: How-to Videos

TextAid is a text-to-speech and literacy tool for documents that the webReader is unable to read, including PDFs. It takes an extra step to upload documents into TextAid, but there are more robust features than in docReader. It can read math equations (if they’re not images), and can also export readings into audio files that you can use on the go.

TextAid appears in the course menu in Canvas, the same menu where you find Modules, Grades and Assignments. When you click on TextAid, it will open in a new tab.:

For additional video tutorials on TextAid, see these YouTube playlists:

• ReadSpeaker TextAid: How-To Videos
• ReadSpeaker TextAid Bookmarklet: How-To Videos

The TextAid Extension is an additional toolbar that can be used on websites outside of Canvas.

• Consider trying the browser extension with OER textbooks and other web content.
• To install the browser extension:
  • For written instructions, download Installing the Extension (PDF).
  • See the YouTube Video: How to Add the ReadSpeaker TextAid Extension to Your Browser
• Note: The browser extension is activated by first going to TextAid in Canvas. Launch from TextAid every time you use the extension to ‘login’ with CSU’s institutional account.

For additional video tutorials, see the following YouTube playlist:

• TextAid Extension How-to Videos