Converting text to audio
Converting text to audio is great for accessibility, for listening to readings while doing other things or just for a different mode of learning.
Deakin offers a range of tools that provide this service.
CloudDeakin content
Blackboard Ally allows documents within CloudDeakin to be converted from text to audio.
This can be used for PDFs of study guides, assignment outlines and other Deakin-created content.
However, articles uploaded as PDFs to CloudDeakin can breach licensing agreements. It’s best to provide links to articles or set up a reading list, which will allow students to access the full text and convert it to audio using one of these other tools.
Library resources
Some platforms the library subscribes to have built-in tools to convert text to audio, including:
- EBSCO Text-to-Speech function
- Gale ReadSpeaker
- Taylor & Francis Readspeaker
Default software
Many computers have built-in functions for converting text to audio. Microsoft Word has a 'Speak' function, Adobe software has a ‘Read Out Loud’ function and there are also a range of browser extensions which offer text to audio functionality. For more information, see how to make your computer read documents.
Deakin software
The Deakin Software Library has a number of tools available to assist with converting text to audio: