VR flashcard application

Pre-NDA note: By reading through this, you agree to keep the contents of this overview strictly confidential, agreeing to not disclose any information to a third party and to recognize that the ideas and concepts expressed here belong to the client, 1/25/2006 SR Flashcard Application Overview The Concept: A speech-recognition flashcard application for helping Japanese learners master English vocabulary/phrases through: 1) text; 2) pictures; 3) audio. This application will be the main learning component for a Moodle learning website. Features: 1. A Leitner-styled algorithm for flashcard quizzing: The more often a card is guessed wrong, the more frequently it appears on the quizzing feature. Conversely, cards guessed correctly appear less often. 2. Statistical feedback features for both the user and program administrator (i.e. avg. time to master a card or a stack/set of cards ["mastery" could be user-defined, i.e. being able to recall the card within so-many seconds after a certain long-time interval], ranking of difficulty of cards in the set; etc...) 3. Learning- & Quizzing-modes: The system must be able to support text (Japanese characters as well), graphics and audio files for these modes. 4. KEY FEATURE 1: ease in creating cards --> word lists are created in MSExcel and easily imported into the system (in-system card creation is common in other flashcards systems, but takes too much time) 5. KEY FEATURE 2: audio cards created by a text-to-speech engine (both in English & Japanese) --> the imported word lists are translated into audio files via a text-to-speech engine eliminating the need to make time consuming recordings for each card 6. KEY FEATURE 3: Pronunciation improvement: For audio quizzing, a voice recognition processor receives the learner's inputted voice and compares that signal to that of the voice engine's. The learner is right only if the comparison yields a result that falls within a "tolerance" range set by the user or administrator. A superb visual “display” for pronunciation learners can be seen at EyeSpeak’s online demo 7. KEY FEATURE 4: Tracking/ Rating & Scoring -- The performance of students using the system could be tracked and a rating/scoring system would show their results on the website for other students to compare themselves against. A scoring system (i.e. karaoke scoring style) would be minimum requirement; a system that could actually point out specific errors in pronunciation (i.e. EyeSpeak’s product) would be a dream. 8. KEY FEATURE 5: Scheduling feature - The program should be able to recommend a schedule to master a particular set; User has practice/quizzing scheduling options of: # of times a day; time of the day; # of days a week; duration to master; etc ... 9. KEY FEATURE 6: The teacher should get reports on the learner’s progress (i.e. know which words were easy to master [time to master] and which were difficult; log of users time spent; etc…) automatically imported into the Moodle site’s teacher’s grading module. Other hopefuls: 1. Good communication with the developer throughout the development cycle. 2. Advice on patent and other legal-issues. Ownership of the source codes. 3. Lightweight program, easy to maintain and improve. (May evolve to open source development) 4. Sleek and professional in design and function (in contrast to the cheap feel of many of the "share-/freewares" out there.) A cool design is something like Declan’s (though I think their “voice” display is too simplistic and not meaningful enough.) 5. Support/ help menu for users. 6. Completion by the beginning of mid-March? References: • A Review of Over 200 Memory-Aid Software [login to view URL] • Excellent overview of the making of a great memory aid application [login to view URL] • Top programs reviewed on this site [login to view URL] • List of Comparable Flashcard Programs • Declan's Japanese FlashCards [login to view URL] • Vtrain [login to view URL] • Cerego Mila (product description in Japanese only) • MemoryLifter [login to view URL] • WinFlash 7 [login to view URL] • FlashcardSuite [login to view URL] • Virtual FlashCards 2.0 [login to view URL] • Memorize-It [login to view URL] • FlashWorks 3.3 [login to view URL] • Langenscheidts Vokabeltrainer 2.0 [login to view URL] • Related Products • FlashcardExchange (WBT program) [login to view URL] • ECTACO Voice Translator (best example of combined speech recogn/engine tech) [login to view URL] Thank you for your help in advance. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.