Microsoft 365 (Formerly Office 365) software is widely used around the world in schools, businesses, universities, Government bodies and training institutions. Despite this being a paid service, there are many parts of the Microsoft 365 suite of software that you can use completely free of charge.
There is a free set of tools available from Microsoft called Learning Tools. They’re designed for use by anyone of any age, regardless of reading or technical abilities.
What does Microsoft Learning Tools Do?
Microsoft Learning Tools adds additional features to OneNote, OneNote Online, Word Online, Outlook Online, Microsoft Edge Browser and Microsoft Teams.
Immersive Reading Experience
The main feature of Learning Tools is the immersive reader functionality. This displays the current document, file, email or website in full-screen view, using a monospaced font and with a read aloud option.
Each word and syllable is highlighted on the screen as it’s being read out.
Here’s an example of what it looks like
You can change the speed and pitch of the voice according to your preferences.
You can also change the font, colour, spacing and sizing according to your personal preferences
What are the benefits of Microsoft Learning Tools?
This tool can assist people with dyslexia and learning difficulties to read, listen and understand information at their own pace.
It can also help anyone learn and comprehend new vocabulary and assist people whose first language is not English.
Reduce screen fatigue and eye strain
The read aloud feature reduces screen fatigue and eye strain, allowing you to listen to the contents of documents, websites and emails instead of reading them from your screen.
Use in educational settings
Learning tools can be used in educational settings for children and adults of all ages. It can also be used for self-learning activities and researching topics you’re interested in.
In group environments, learners may choose to use headphones to avoid disturbing others in the room.
Distraction-free reading
Sometimes, when reading information on our screens, the rest of the screen is crowded with other information, toolbars, buttons and menus which can get distracting if you’re really trying to focus on something.
Avoid being disturbed by annoying pop-ups and alerts
When the immersive reader is in full-screen mode, then your computer won’t show you notifications or alerts that keep popping up in the corner either.
Improve reading and comprehension
1 in 8 (12% / 216,000 people) adults in Wales lack basic literacy skills (source: Literacy Trust). Tools like this help readers improve their overall word recognition, helped by the monospaced font and each syllable being highlighted as its spoken out loud.
How to get Microsoft Learning Tools
To use it on your computer with OneNote, you need to download the free add-on and already have OneNote installed on your PC.
If you want to use the immersive reader on websites, then you don’t need to download anything because it’s already built-in to Microsoft Edge!
Simply press F9 on your keyboard to enable the immersive reading mode while browsing websites on Microsoft Edge. Alternatively press this icon in the browser’s toolbar
On a mobile you can download the app “Microsoft Lens” This has the Immersive Reader app built in. You can simply scan a document, and the app will read the document for you, or you can export it into Word, Powerpoint or Excel files. It will even digitize handwritten text and save to Onenote or OneDrive.
Other assistive technology features in Microsoft 365…
Microsoft have this great guide to help educators use a range of technology features within Microsoft 365 to help with vision, hearing, neurodiversity, mobility and mental health.
You can also Check Accessibility under the Review function in Microsoft Office 365 applications such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Some examples of the issues it checks and provides solutions for includes: In Word, adding “Alt Text” to images; checking reading order of slides in Powerpoint and ensuring graphs are suitable for those who are colorblind in Excel. Such a useful tool!
