WHY should we encourage our learners to use Text Mode to remove the distractions from content? The answer is easy: Visual noise on websites and other areas where learners interact can distract them from the task at hand - reading and comprehending information. For instance, for a learner who has ADD, ADHD, or executive functioning challenges, anything on a page or around them can easily gain their focus instead of staying on the material. ReadSpeaker has a couple of tools to help keep that focus tighter on the material. The first tool we will talk about is Text Mode.
The WHO is the group of learners who are easily distracted, have ADD or ADHD, and even those learners who may NOT struggle with access but can lose focus on the material.
When you see a learner struggling to concentrate on their reading materials, suggest using Text Mode.
Text Mode is found in both webReader and docReader.
In webReader, learners will find it on the lower toolbar, with a Text Mode button.
The docReader Classic View and student view of the New View1B are found on the top toolbar about halfway across the docReader menu bar. Its icon is square with lines inside it, .
In New View 1A and the instructor view of New View IB, these options are under the hamburger, , on the right side of the toolbar.
Layout mode is on the left of the Text Mode tool, and it has a similar icon, except it also has a person’s profile above the lines, . Basically, it takes out background images, left-justifies the information, and changes the font size to consistently present material on the page.