Enhancing reading comprehension for junior high school students using a mobile app: Integrating text to audio reading application (TARA) and data analytics for summarization and insights

ABSTRACT: The Text to Audio Reading Application (TARA) is a mobile application developed to enhance reading comprehension among junior high school students by leveraging text-to-speech technology and descriptive data analytics. The application addresses key issues in traditional reading methods, which often fail to engage students and foster poor reading habits. TARA converts written text into audible content, accommodating various learning styles and preferences, and includes features for summarization and progress tracking to support personalized learning. The text-to-speech feature provides adjustable reading speeds, allowing students to choose settings that best suit their needs. The summarization tool condenses complex texts into shorter versions, highlighting key points to aid in understanding. Progress tracking functionalities enable students to monitor improvements and identity areas needing further practice. In a usability evaluation involving 50 junior high school students, TARA achieved an overall mean score of 3.19 (Acceptable) for functional suitability and 3.21 (Acceptable) for usability, indicating strong system performance. Utilizing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, the application allows text capture mobile camera or manual input, while the MeaningCloud API integration enables automatic text condensation. Firebase-powered analytics support comprehensive grammatical skill assessments. By offering immediate feedback and personalized recommendations, TARA transforms reading from a passive to an interactive learning experience, supporting diverse educational needs and helping students develop more effective reading comprehension strategies.

Filipiniana