The average student today spends hours every week absorbing information auditorily, from podcasts and audiobooks to social media video and music streaming. They are intimately familiar with high-quality, synthetic voices in many areas of their lives, although they likely don’t realize it. On any given day, synthetic voice gives them directions, answers their smart home commands, and provides real-time information such as the weather or news, among others.
ReadSpeaker is proud that our technology powers many of these daily auditory touchpoints. Our advanced Text-to-Speech (TTS) voices are used in applications like Spotify’s Car Thing interface, Sonos smart speakers (with custom brand voices like the one for Sonos Voice Control), gaming systems such as Playstation, and public transportation systems for on-board and in-station announcements for Sanyo Electric Railway, Tokaido Shinkansen, and Keio.
This isn’t a coincidence; it’s the norm. Therefore, we should ask, if listening is the default mode of information consumption in the world outside the classroom, why are we not using voice more within it?
The Data Speaks Volumes: Students are Choosing Audio
Recent data on Gen Z and Millennial media consumption shows a sustained shift toward on-demand audio, moving away from traditional media formats. This behavioral change is primarily driven by the ubiquity of smartphones, the increasing popularity of podcasts, and the rise of integrating audio content into daily, multi-tasking routines, such as commuting, exercising, or performing household chores.
This trend highlights that on-demand audio is no longer a niche preference but a central part of the modern media diet for younger generations. The sustained nature of this shift suggests a long-term change in media consumption habits, cementing on-demand audio as a critical platform for communication and information delivery for years to come. Consider the following:
- Soaring Spoken Word Audio: Consumption of spoken word audio (podcasts, audiobooks, etc.) has exploded among young listeners (ages 13-24), showing growth rates vastly exceeding older demographics. (Edison Research)
- Mobile Dominance: More audio is now consumed via mobile devices than traditional radio receivers, cementing the need for the flexibility text to speech provides.
- Audio for Well-being: Students actively use audio (music and podcasts) to help boost their mood, cope during difficult times, and support mental health, demonstrating a deep, personal connection to auditory media.
Given the rising popularity of audio in our daily lives, it is not only smart, it’s responsible to integrate it into our learning environments. By introducing high-quality, natural-sounding TTS directly into the digital ecosystem, we are meeting students exactly where their habits and preferences lie.
Normalizing Audio: The Core of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
When TTS is easy to access and easy to use within the Learning Management System, it transcends the role of accessibility tool and becomes a way to align instruction and course design with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines.
- Beyond Compliance: While TTS is essential for accessibility compliance for students with disabilities such as dyslexia or visual impairment, its benefits are universal.
- The Bi-modal Advantage: Students who listen to content read aloud while following along with synchronized highlighting (bimodal presentation) see significant gains in comprehension, word recognition, and information retention. International Literacy Association
- Student Autonomy and Choice: By providing a “Listen” button across an LMS, you empower students to choose their preferred mode of content consumption. This choice is crucial for agency and engagement, allowing a student to:
- Study hands-free during a commute or while exercising.
- Re-read complex material by ear to check for understanding.
- Alleviate screen fatigue during long online study sessions.
The result is an equitable, engaging, and highly personalized learning journey. When the voice that guides them on their city’s transit system is the same high-quality TTS voice that reads their course work, the student feels immediately comfortable and supported. Adding voice to the learning experience makes it less of a chore and more of a natural and effective way to consume course content.
What percentage of your students do you think would choose to listen to their coursework if they had the option? Let us know!
Prior to entering the world of educational technology, Erin Martin spent 14 years in public education. Erin was in the classroom for 9 years and transitioned to an administrative role after receiving her Ed.S. in Educational Administration in 2013.
Erin has spent the last 10 years in educational technology sales and marketing.
Her passion is supporting inclusivity and bridging academic gaps for all students through the use of technology.
