Online Students Say Listening Equals Learning
An exciting new survey of TextAloud users from NextUp.com finds listening via Text-to-Speech is a great way to learn.
CLEMMONS, NC (PRWEB) July 22, 2005 -- Text-to-Speech (TTS) software leader
NextUp.com (www.NextUp.com)
has released its Customer Survey, which focused on users who utilize its
text-to-speech software TextAloud for online learning purposes.
The 2005
TextAloud Online Learning Customer Survey was conducted over a two-week period
in May 2005, and turns a spotlight on one of today's fastest-growing phenomena
-- online, or remote, learning. Using the power of voice synthesis to "speak
aloud" documents, web pages, e-mail and more, TextAloud allows its users to
convert text seamlessly into spoken audio for easy listening, study, and
comprehension. Thanks to TextAloud, users can not only learn remotely on their
PC, far from any brick-and-mortar school -- but they can now carry those lessons
with them. TextAloud saves to MP3/Windows Media files for easy playback on
portables like the iPod, Rio, iRiver, PocketPC, and dozens more, for learning
and enhanced study wherever they may go. With nearly 95% of survey respondents
using TextAloud as a vital part of their study routines, the Online Survey makes
a powerful case for text-to-speech software as a valuable learning
tool.
Previous NextUp customer feedback showed that TextAloud users
included a large number of people who were pursuing their studies via online
learning institutions. NextUp's new survey is designed to learn more about how
TextAloud is helping its users get more out of their educational goals and
pursuits.
"Online Learning takes learning out of the classroom: TextAloud
takes it out into the world," comments Ken White, CEO of NextUp.com. "TextAloud
proves to be the perfect accompaniment to the freedom and flexibility of online
learning."
2005 Survey Results at a Glance
NextUp's survey of
TextAloud customers who utilize the product for online learning covered a wide
array of learning situations and subjects, with user answers proving
surprisingly diverse when it came to ages, degrees, areas of interest, and
more.
The Survey results showed:
* Online Learning is Truly for
All Ages -- The online world is often considered to be the territory of the very
young -- yet the vast majority of TextAloud users in an online learning setting
are 36 and older (at 83%)! 39% of respondents were age 46-55, while a
respectable 8% were 56 or older.
* University of Phoenix Leading Online
Learning Provider -- The leader in surveyed online learning providers was
University of Phoenix by a significant margin (nearly 60%) -- followed by a rich
assortment of learning institutions from all across America -- and
beyond.
* Text-to-Speech is an Essential Part of Study -- A whopping 94%
responded that TextAloud is an essential study tool, helping users to read and
retain knowledge no matter where they are. Meanwhile, Reading was the
overwhelming choice of over 50% of respondents when asked in what aspect of
their studies TextAloud proved most helpful.
* Convenience and
Flexibility -- The majority of respondents chose online learning for its
convenience (50%); with (in a similar vein) many respondents holding down
full-time work schedules (22%). Learning remotely is for many the only
opportunity to learn and work at the same time.
* Brave New World (27%
New to Online Learning) -- A surprisingly large percentage of the respondents to
our survey were new to online learning, with over 27 percent enrolled for less
than one year.
* Classloads -- Nearly 40% of survey respondents are
enrolled at significant levels, taking between 6-15 hours of study per week.
Further, about 40% more take part in more than 16 hours of formal classwork per
week.
* Education Levels in Survey Respondents -- Over 50% of TextAloud's
Online Learning Survey respondents report having achieved a Master's Degree
level of education or higher.
* Area of Emphasis -- Not surprisingly, the
majority of respondents to the online learning survey are using TextAloud to
pursue educations in Computer/IT (27%), with Education at 19%, and Business and
Science rounding out the top choices at 11% apiece.
The results speak
loud and clear: Text-to-Speech Programs like TextAloud can be an essential part
of the online learning process -- and may significantly contribute to
productivity, knowledge retention, and success in the remote classroom.
About TextAloud 2.0
Recently nominated for a 2005 Shareware
Industry Association Award, TextAloud is a full-featured Text-to-Speech tool
offering direct support for Word, PDF and HTML formats, as well as advanced
pronunciation tools, an Internet Explorer Plug-In for easy listening of favorite
web pages -- and more.
Hailed by critics and users alike, TextAloud is
priced at just $29.95, and is compatible with systems using Windows 98, NT, 2000
and XP. The program is available for fast, safe and secure purchase via http://www.NextUp.com. NextUp.com
also offers TextAloud with optional premium voices from AT&T Natural
Voices™, NeoSpeech and Cepstral for the most natural-sounding computer speech
anywhere.
About NextUp.com
NextUp.com, a division of NextUp
Technologies, LLC, provides award-winning Text-to-Speech software for consumers,
business customers, educators, and those with visual impairment or learning
disabilities.
In addition to TextAloud, NextUp.com markets other
innovative Windows software designed to save time and deliver vital information.
NewsAloud™ is a talking personal "news agent" that finds the stories users want,
and then reads them aloud or to portable MP3 files. WeatherAloud™ is a weather
application that lets users select and listen to personalized weather forecasts,
while StocksAloud™ reads stock updates and related news headlines aloud for
specific companies of interest. Most recently, NextUp also released NextUp
Talker 1.0, an easy and affordable program that allows people who have lost
their voices to use the latest in high-quality computer voices to communicate
with others.
Note to Editors:
Evaluation copies of TextAloud 2.0
are currently available upon request. To receive a review copy, or for more
information on NextUp.com or TextAloud, please contact Rick Ellis at rdellis
(at) nextup.com. Meanwhile, for images, logos, box shots, or other information
or artwork on TextAloud 2.0, please contact publicist Angela Mitchell at (904)
982-8043.
All companies and products referenced in this press release,
including TextAloud, Windows, and more are the trademarks of their respective
owners.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb264602.htm