This new portable and affordable digital audio book player helps students increase their reading speed, comprehension and vocabulary, wherever they go.

The ClassMate reads aloud and simultaneously displays and highlights text on its full color screen. Its simple, flexible interface can be configured to the user's specific needs.

It also includes helpful study tools to enhance learning such as bookmarks, recording, highlighting function and a speaking dictionary. With built-in text-to-speech, it works with e-text or NIMAS files.

Stand-alone

Unlike other reading and learning applications that require a computer, the ClassMate is a completely portable stand-alone solution. Students can download and store their curriculum directly on an SD card for easy access anytime, anywhere.

Flexible

The ClassMate can be set to match the user's pace preferences. Its full-color screen can be configured to change font type, text size, color, line spacing, etc. The user can adjust text scrolling speed and move text to view above or below the passage read.

Interactive

Using your fingertip or the stylus, you can interact with the text on the touch screen and its simple, user-friendly interface. Simply touch the screen to underline a text passage, insert a bookmark or a note in the text or even consult the integrated dictionary.

A Multimodal Approach

The ClassMate uses a proven multisensory multimodal approach, which consists of stimulating both sight and hearing by the simultaneous use of text and audio. A number of studies have shown that multimodal approaches improve understanding.

"Students who had access to the digital audio textbook had a 38.1 percent increase in their pre- to post-test scores than their peers in the control group (21.6 percent)."

Source: John Hopkins

Study Tools to Enhance Learning

The ClassMate also provides essential functions to enhance learning. By simply touching the screen, students can highlight the text to focus on specific passages, or insert bookmarks to instantly return to important sections or pages. They can also take text or voice notes to complement their comprehension of the text. With the integrated dictionary, students can immediately look up a word's spelling, pronunciation and meaning.

Main Features

• Synchronized text and audio
• Study tools to assist in the learning process:
• Highlighting: helps focus on important passages
• Bookmarks: helps find specific pages or sections in a snap
• Text or Voice Notes: allows to take personal notes within the text to complement comprehension
• Speaking Dictionary: instant access to more than 25,000 words. Provides spelling, pronunciation and meaning.
• Create personalized tests in text format to accommodate students during exam periods
• Built-in text-to-speech (TTS) using the new Nuance Vocalizer human-sounding voice
• Easily copy text files on NIMAS text book
• Touch screen for interaction with text
• Plays DAISY 2.x, DAISY NISO, MP3, NIMAS, Txt, HTML, XML
• Voice recording capability via built-in microphone
• Playback through stereo headphones or built-in speaker
• Connectable to external thumb drives-USB drives
• USB 2.0 port to connect to PC as Windows USB drive
• Weight: (10.7 oz), dimensions: (3.54" x 6.1" x 0.98")
• Replaceable rechargeable battery (7 hours playtime)
• Built-in battery charger - can be played while recharging
• Built-in stand - for hands-free listening

Hardware Features

• Interactive screen (2" X 3"), landscape view, full color display
• Dedicated buttons for key functions - i.e., record, study tools, go to page, dictionary
• Dedicated volume and speed toggle button with increase and decrease buttons
• Quiet keypad with simple four-arrow navigation
• Home button - main menu: opening books/files, delete, timer, visual and audio settings, Information
• Dictionary button - syllable, spelling, definition, contextual reference
• Record button - instant record
• Study Tools button - Highlighting, text notes, bookmarks, navigation of bookmarks, dictionary
• Go to button - go to page, go to heading, find text
• Play/Pause button
• Microphone
• External speaker
• Stereo headphones