Structured Audio Podcasts via Web Text-to-Speech System

Audio podcasting is increasingly present in the educational field and is especially appreciated as an ubiquitous/pervasive tool (?anywhere, anytime, at any pace?) for acquiring or expanding knowledge. We designed and implemented a Web-based Text To Speech (TTS) system for automatic generation of a set of structured audio podcasts from a single text document. The system receives a document in input (doc, rtf, or txt), and in output provides a set of audio files that reflect the document?s internal structure (one mp3 file for each document section), ready to be downloaded on portable mp3 players. Structured audio files are useful for everyone but are especially appreciated by blind users, who must explore content audially. Fully accessible for the blind, our system offers WAI-ARIA-based Web interfaces for easy navigation and interaction via screen reader and voice synthesizer, and produces a set of accessible audio files for Rockbox mp3 players (mp3 and talk files), allowing blind users to also listen to naturally spoken file names (instead of their spelled-out strings). In this demo, we will show how the system works when a user interacts via screen reader and voice synthesizer, showing the interaction with both our Web-based system and with an mp3 player

An Analysis of Data Quality Defects in Podcasting Systems

Podcasting has emerged as an asynchronous delay-tolerant method for the distribution of multimedia files through a network. Although podcasting has become a popular Internet application, users encounter frequent information quality problems in podcasting systems. To better understand the severity of these quality problems, we have applied the Total Data Quality Management methodology to podcasting. Through the application of this methodology we have quantified the data quality problems inherent within podcasting metadata, and performed an analysis that maps specific metadata defects to failures in popular commercial podcasting platforms. Furthermore, we extracted the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds from the iTunes catalog for the purpose of performing the most comprehensive measurement of podcasting metadata to date. From these findings we attempted to improve the quality of podcasting data through the creation of a metadata validation tool - PodCop. PodCop extends existing RSS validation tools and encapsulates validation rules specific to the context of podcasting. We believe PodCop is the first attempt at improving the overall health of the podcasting ecosyste

An Analysis of Data Quality Defects in Podcasting Systems

Podcasting has emerged as an asynchronous delay-tolerant method for the distribution of multimedia files through a network. Although podcasting has become a popular Internet application, users encounter frequent information quality problems in podcasting systems. To better understand the severity of these quality problems, we have applied the Total Data Quality Management methodology to podcasting. Through the application of this methodology we have quantified the data quality problems inherent within podcasting metadata, and performed an analysis that maps specific metadata defects to failures in popular commercial podcasting platforms. Furthermore, we extracted the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds from the iTunes catalog for the purpose of performing the most comprehensive measurement of podcasting metadata to date. From these findings we attempted to improve the quality of podcasting data through the creation of a metadata validation tool - PodCop. PodCop extends existing RSS validation tools and encapsulates validation rules specific to the context of podcasting. We believe PodCop is the first attempt at improving the overall health of the podcasting ecosyste

Structured Audio Podcasts via Web Text-to-Speech System

Audio podcasting is increasingly present in the educational field and is especially appreciated as an ubiquitous/pervasive tool ("anywhere, anytime, at any pace") for acquiring or expanding knowledge. We designed and implemented a Web-based Text To Speech (TTS) system for automatic generation of a set of structured audio podcasts from a single text document. The system receives a document in input (doc, rtf, or txt), and in output provides a set of audio files that reflect the document's internal structure (one mp3 file for each document section), ready to be downloaded on portable mp3 players. Structured audio files are useful for everyone but are especially appreciated by blind users, who must explore content audially. Fully accessible for the blind, our system offers WAI-ARIA-based Web interfaces for easy navigation and interaction via screen reader and voice synthesizer, and produces a set of accessible audio files for Rockbox mp3 players (mp3 and talk files), allowing blind users to also listen to naturally spoken file names (instead of their spelled-out strings). In this demo, we will show how the system works when a user interacts via screen reader and voice synthesizer, showing the interaction with both our Web-based system and with an mp3 player

E-Learning

E-learning enables students to pace their studies according to their needs, making learning accessible to (1) people who do not have enough free time for studying - they can program their lessons according to their available schedule; (2) those far from a school (geographical issues), or the ones unable to attend classes due to some physical or medical restriction. Therefore, cultural, geographical and physical obstructions can be removed, making it possible for students to select their path and time for the learning course. Students are then allowed to choose the main objectives they are suitable to fulfill. This book regards E-learning challenges, opening a way to understand and discuss questions related to long-distance and lifelong learning, E-learning for people with special needs and, lastly, presenting case study about the relationship between the quality of interaction and the quality of learning achieved in experiences of E-learning formation