Immersive Reader is coming to an app near you - now partners can use as an Azure Cognitive Service
Published Jun 20 2019 06:00 AM 36.6K Views
Microsoft

Just a few years ago, the Immersive Reader was a bold idea in a Microsoft Hackathon focused on using the latest science and research around reading while using inclusive design principles to empower  students of all abilities.  Today, more than 16 million people every month are using it for free, improving their reading and writing comprehension and even their ability to do math problems.

 

Today, we’re thrilled to announce this powerful literacy tool will now be available as an Azure Cognitive Service, allowing third party apps and partners to add Immersive Reader right into their products, starting with the partners below. The Immersive Reader helps people of all abilities, including dyslexia, ADHD, emerging readers, non-native speakers, people with visual impairments. If there’s an app you love to use in your classroom and you would love to see an Immersive Reader icon show up there soon, let them know. We’ve made it easier than ever, you might even call it Literacy as a Service!

 

Below is the first wave of partners that will be enabling Immersive Reader in their apps or service to help make content more accessible and inclusive.  We’ve been working with these partners during our private preview over the past few months.  These partners have enabled immersive reader for students and schools who have been doing early testing of the integration.  We have some early feedback from both teachers and students who have been using the Immersive Reader integrated with partner apps. 

 

Shannon McClintock Miller,  K-12 district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa - "Wow!  I am so excited about finding the Immersive Reader from Microsoft in Buncee now. This will bring Buncee's to life for our readers and learners as they now can listen to the digital stories and projects they create and write.  This is truly a game changer for Buncee!"

 

Lisan H., High School student, , who is using the Immersive Reader with Squigl - “One of the things we advocate for the at the National Federation of the Blind is not only having one way of doing things but having multiple tools in your tool kit; so when you’re stuck you can rely on something else and the more avenues the better...Squigl with Microsoft immersive reader helps catch what my screen reader might not catch so it offers another layer of support. This helps further my ability to create creatively.”

 

Jonathan Cue from Ottoson Middle School, Arlington MA  -Immersive Reader is a great new feature for JogNog. I use it in my Tech Ed class for English language learners. The students find it very useful when they aren't clear on the questions/answers in English. From what I've seen, the written translation is used most frequently.”

 

Here are the list of partners using the Immersive Reader Private Preview

Logo.pngBuncee, FollettJogNog, KortextMindsets LearningMyDay, Nearpod, OhBotOxford University Press, PowerSchoolSiLAS, Skooler, SquiglThingLinkWakelet

 

“In 27 years of Software Development, this was the easiest integration we’ve ever done”

  • Tor Henriksen, CTO and CEO of Skooler

Starting today, the Immersive Reader as a Cognitive Service moving into Public Preview.  This means that any app or partner can easily integrate Immersive Reader to make it easier to read text.  With just 20-50 lines of code, the Immersive Reader button and entire experience can be embedded into web sites, Windows apps, iOS, or Android.  We’ve had partners complete the integration is under an hour, and according to Skooler CEO Tor Hendriksen, “In 27 years of Software Development, this was the easiest integration we’ve ever done”.  And Buncee Director of Engineering, Aditya Balwani says "Immersive Reader was one of the easiest integrations the team and I have ever worked with. Many things claim to be plug and play but this one truly lived up to it!"

 

The public preview is free for partners to use, with final Cognitive Services pricing being announced later in 2019.

 

Get Started Today

To begin exploring how to integration the Immersive Reader into your app or service, here are some helpful getting start links:

We look forward to hearing your feedback, and partners enabling the Immersive Reader to help even more people with reading.

 

Mike Tholfsen

Microsoft Education team

@mtholfsen

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