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Review of Co:Writer 4000
For Windows and Mac OS

 

Co:Writer 4000 – Word Prediction Software by Don Johnston

Author: Gerry Kennedy – IT Consultant and Trainer in Education

Co:Writer 4000 is the new version of the popular word prediction software from Don Johnston. Essentially it is a powerful and intelligent writing assistant. Co:Writer 4000 works with your favourite word processing software or with any other program that involves text entry. Co:Writer will operate on a PC compatible running MS Windows 95 or 98. You will require a speech card. It has built-in powerful speech options with a wide range of high quality male and female voices. It will also run on Mac OS computers with System 7.6.1 or higher including the latest iMacs and Apple PowerBooks. It works seamlessly with another Don Johnston product, the easy-to-use and highly acclaimed voiced word processor, Write:Outloud V3.

Co:Writer 4000 now comes complete with Flexspell and TVS (i.e. Total Vocabulary System). Flexspell and TVS mean that there are more words than ever before to be predicted! These new additional features give Co:Writer more predicting power, with improved accuracy and flexibility. Flexspell and TVS give users new ways to focus on what they wish to write. They can locate and use the right words – whether it is a topic specific word or a word they know how to say, but do not know how to spell. Users can find the right word with fewer cues and so be more productive and confident in using previously used as well as new words. Users can now build a better and more extensive vocabulary. Teachers can quickly create customised dictionaries for students of any age that relate to their specific needs, be it in key learning areas, in a comprehension exercise, in set curriculum or in a project or task.

There are many reasons why people require word prediction software. It is usually due to personal injury, physical limitations, a language delay, a learning disability or having difficulty composing and typing text due to learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Co:Writer is basically a productivity tool for those who struggle with writing. Word prediction helps alleviate the physical and cognitive stress of text generation. Users with disabilities can produce quality writing with less fatigue. This genre of software is so liberating and empowering as it caters to the writing and communication needs of people who have traditionally been disadvantaged and excluded. Many poor or slow writers often only experience failure. Co:Writer intervenes in that cycle of failure and helps in promoting positive outcomes and success.

Word prediction makes the writing and typing process easier, faster and more pleasurable. It predicts the writer’s words and presents options (from 2 to 9 words) dynamically as letters are typed. This is achieved when the user types one or two letters of their intended word. Co:Writer helps finish the word by presenting appropriate word choices. These are displayed in a separate window onscreen. This floating window can be positioned automatically, or above, below or to the side of the word processor/ text entry application window (e.g. a data base or email package).

Physical Disability Support

For people who fatigue, have a physical disability or short-term injury, Co:Writer 4000 reduces the number of keystrokes required to complete a word. Where typists are using long words, or ones that have complex and difficult spelling, it presents the most logical word in the attached dictionary or dictionaries and presents them either in a fixed, horizontal or vertical list, with or without numbers. With just a few keystrokes, a complex word can be completed quickly and accurately, allowing a writer to be more efficient. This builds a student’s confidence in that they will consider that their work will be correct. Word prediction technology reduces the time for the writer to complete a sentence. It limits the physical demands placed upon the writer. The writer has greater flexibility and opportunity to concentrate of the quality of writing, and not the mechanics of key entry. Fundamentally, the quality, quantity and ease of writing are dramatically increased. Satisfaction, self-esteem and confidence are assured as the writing experience becomes one of continued success and enjoyment.

Choose Your Required Mode

Co:Writer has built-in intelligence with a number of user selectable modes from which to choose. It predicts words based on where you are in your sentence, words used so far, subject-verb agreement, word relationships, grammar rules, user preferences and includes other useful factors as well. Most of the time, the predicted words offered are right for the sentence. It capitalises the first word of the sentence automatically with font size and style options available. You can make it very simple and basic. Configure it with a large 36 point white coloured font, speech enabled with 3 words presented without numbers on a dark blue background, or for another user in a small 10 point Palatino font, with 9 words presented with numbers. The software is totally customisable and can accommodate sensory, cognitive or physical needs. If you work with Write:Outloud or other voiced package, the text is voiced while composing/selecting words and then spoken as WOL voices finished text in your word processing document. This empowers users to become more independent and to build a repertoire of writing skills.

How It Works With You

Using Co:Writer 4000 is very straightforward. You launch Co:Writer and then choose one of three modes. WordPad is always installed with MS Windows, and is the text application main choice on a PC. SimpleText can be used with MAC OS PC’s. Or you can choose to ‘link’ it to your preferred writing package, text-based application or utility program. The third option is to use “Talk Mode”. This mode is for people communicating their ideas, thoughts and needs using Co:Writer’s voice(s) to an audience (e.g. teacher, peer, sibling, friend) or new acquaintance or store keeper) without sending it to another application.

Co:Writer gives you logical word choices as you construct your sentence. You select the word you require. If it does appear in the list, you type another letter. When your desired word is listed, you press the corresponding number next to it or click on it with the left mouse button. Switch users select the word using their preferred scanning method. You proceed with the next word and so on, until the sentence is completed. It is then voiced (if speech is turned on and active) and then placed into your ‘linked’ application at the cursor. If you do not recognise a word, a right button click will announce it. You can ‘chop’ words, use suffixes and prefixes and make words plural. It is a complete writing creation tool. You can type fully completed words as well without having to use Co:Writer and only use it when you require checking a word. You can set up a ‘hot key’ to activate it.

Exciting New Features in Co:Writer 4000

Co:Writer 4000 has many useful and powerful features. It:

• Uses built-in intelligence to predict words based on subject-verb agreement, grammar rules, user preferences, word relationships, and frequency and recency of words used by the writer
• Includes a number of ready-to-use UK English Dictionaries, including 1,000, 3,000, 6,000 12,000 and 40,000 words – that Co:Writer uses for predictions. You choose a dictionary so predicted words are appropriately simple or sophisticated depending on the user’s age and ability level. You can add Topic Dictionaries as well for themes and specific writing tasks
• Will find words – even if approximated or spelt phonetically
• Lets you add your own names, proper nouns and special terms to topic dictionaries so the program predicts these, too
• Can be customised for multiple users (especially students in a class or school setting) and log users off and on
• Allows you to build multiple user and topic dictionaries to accommodate different themes, topics and users’ needs

You can now help your students find the right words! Co:Writer 4000 is a very powerful writing intervention tool for users who write with Discover:Switch, Discover:Board or Discover:Screen. Users may have limited grammar, spelling and vocabulary skills or are auditory learners and become frustrated because writing is too difficult. Other people need to write to communicate verbally so they use Co:Writer on their notebook or Powerbook. It is then a communication tool that is readily accessible.

It gives students the tools they need to construct quality, content-rich sentences. Emerging writers can use the new Flexspell to write the words they want, even if they can only spell them phonetically. Developing writers get immediate grammar support to improve the quality of their work. Co:Writer makes it possible for students to practice the art of writing with success – every day. Flexspell lets them begin words phonetically or by cueing initial letters and both approaches provide the correct word. You can change background and text colours maximize legibility for students with visual impairments or visual discrimination issues. For students who punctuate poorly or who get confused, Co:Writer 4000 assists them complete their work as it automatically capitalizes the first word in a sentence and spaces after words to create a successful writing experience.

Customising Topic Dictionaries – the Total Vocabulary System

The Total Vocabulary System – or TVS – lets teachers and trainers provide concise vocabulary that enables students to write on any topic with less effort. It consists of TVS Main Dictionaries, Personal Dictionaries, Topic Dictionaries and the Topic Dictionary Toolkit. Students can therefore focus on expressing their ideas when they use topic-specific words from TVS Topic Dictionaries. Students write phrases or whole sentences with a single keystroke when they use Co:Writer 4000’s X:PND feature for fast communication and writing. TVS Main Dictionaries offer the right words for every writing level – from beginner to advanced user levels. Without Co:Writer, a student may be struggling with letter formation, spelling, grammar and the physical task of writing. Students become more familiar and conversant with correct writing structures and it acts a model for them.

For many students, having to write a sentence, story or complete a written assignment can pose a huge problem. Transferring oral speech, or formulated ideas and putting them down on paper can be a daunting prospect, even for many adults. They have had little or no confidence in their writing abilities and often find writing a chore and unrewarding. With Co:Writer 4000, reluctant writers become expressive, confident and successful, as it offers logical word choices; words that fit appropriately and correctly in their sentences. This helps put appropriate words in their proper order with correct spelling. Sentences make sense and grammar is improved. Co:Writer 4000 he traditionally been an ideal application for word prediction users. Now, it is THE choice! You can upgrade your old copy as well. Contact Spectronics for details and costs or go to our web site http://www.spectronicsinoz.com for more information.