TestTalker®:
TestTalker®:
A software program to help
individuals be more successful with test taking, worksheet completion, and study
materials. TestTalker provides a computer version of a test, worksheet, or other
form that can read the text to the student.
Getting Started:
Instructions for TestTalker
TestTalker Instructions
Teacher Edition:
1.
Open TestTalker and choose IBM voice if prompted to do so. Scan, import, or
download a test, form or worksheet into TestTalker. To Scan, turn the scanner
on, place the document face down on the glass, select the Scan button on the toolbar.
2.
Check the reading order. Use Dynamic Zoning to redefine OCR (Optical Character Recognition) zones to
change the reading order if desired. It is important that this be completed
prior to the next two steps (cleaning up scanning errors, and inserting answer
blanks), or changes made during those steps will be lost when TestTalker's OCR
program re-recognizes the document. Begin by selecting Read. If the document is reading out
of order select Dynamic
Zoning and Enable
Dynamic Zoning and Show
Current Zones which will appear surrounded by blue boxes. Select Dynamic
Zoning
from the Tools
menu then on Re-define
Zones
on Current Page.
The cursor changes to a crosshair with a small letter 'z' in it. Click and hold
the mouse and drag the cursor over the first desired zone, release. Repeat for
each zone. Select Re-recognize
Document from Dynamic
Zoning in the Tools
menu. If the reading order is still unsatisfactory after defining the new zones,
select Revert to
Original Zones or
Erase New Zones
from the Dynamic
Zoning submenu
and try again.
3.
Clean up any errors in scanning using Clean-Up. In this view both the Picture of the document
scanned and the Text-only view appear. The Text-only is on top with the exact
view on bottom. The Text-only is what TestTalker uses to read aloud. Edit this
view if there are errors in reading (incorrect word, pronunciation…). These
corrections will be heard but not seen in the student mode since they will only
see the exact view. To correct errors be sure to enter the corrections and then
delete the incorrect characters. NEVER delete the whole word first-or there will
no longer be a link between that
spoken word and highlighted text and your highlighting will be off when it's
reading.
4.
Insert answer blanks for Fill-in,
Extended Answer,
Multiple Choice,
and True/False
type questions.
Fill-in: TestTalker may automatically insert a Fill-in
answer blank where it recognizes an underline in a document. If the answer blank
is not desired in that location, click on it and delete it. Insert a Fill-in,
3-Line Extended
or 8-Line Extended
answer blank depending on the size of the answer.
Multiple Choice:
TestTalker will automatically group sets of 4 answer buttons if Auto-group
4 is
selected under Multiple
Choice. Grouping allows only one answer from that group to be selected by a
student. To group sets of answers more or less than 4, Choose Multiple
Choice,
Manual.
Then under Tools
select Group Buttons.
Leave this feature off if you wish to allow the student to select more than one
answer.
True/False: Used
in groups of 2 buttons-one for True and one for False.
You may only select one button.
5. Try
out the test, form, or worksheet as a student would, using Student
Mode.
Select Read to have TestTalker begin reading
where the cursor is positioned. You may change the reading voice, rate and
pausing. TestTalker highlights as it reads. Select Read again to pause the reading.
6.
Erase any answers you have filled in by selecting Erase
Answers
from the Tools menu.
You may want to print it out first to use as an answer key.
7.
Save material to disk or other computer where the student has access to a
Student Edition of TestTalker.