[Athen] FW: Introduction to Ginger Software's Automatic Text Correction Software

[Teresa Haven]

Many thanks for this report, E.A.; very helpful, and points out some negatives (such as the requirement that a user be online) that were not clear from their website or email.  Will keep an eye on this company but it doesn't sound like it's a solution to immediately pursue...
 
Best,
Teresa
 


----- Original Message -----
From: "E.A. Draffan" <ea at emptech.info>
Date: Friday, July 4, 2008 11:27 am
Subject: Re: [Athen] FW: Introduction to Ginger Software's Automatic Text Correction Software
To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network' <athen at athenpro.org>


> Carmel Palti and Mrs. Yael Karov presented their on-line error 

> checker to

> the British Dyslexia Association New Technologies Group last 

> week.  Key

> features of the software are:

>  

> 1. Automatic correction of most error types, including: unusual

> spelling, misused words (real-word errors), extra word insertion 

> or word

> omission, grammar mistakes (verb inflection, wrong preposition/article

> usage, plural/single, etc.). 

> 2. Correction is done based on the error context, and it is automatic

> in most cases. In the remaining cases the system suggests few 

> alternatives,combined with voice, definitions, and sample 

> sentences. 

> 3. Corrections are made while the user is writing a document in

> Microsoft Word. Corrections while writing in web applications, 

> such as

> gmail, chats, and forums are planned as a second stage. 

> 4. Reports and statistics are supplied to the users and their

> teacher/trainer, describing the most common mistakes, and 

> progress over

> time. 

> 5. The system learns the user's writing patterns, and improves over

> time.

> 

> At the moment it does not correct grammar, punctuation or help with

> vocabulary.  These features are meant to be coming on line 

> in 2009.  The

> developers do not wish it to be known as a spell checker, but 

> when it saves

> errors to its database, it is only saving individual words and 

> not their

> context. 

> 

> There are concerns about the data it collects as you will need 

> to supply

> age, area you live in and a few other things to help it learn which

> corrections need to be provided - say homophones for USA rather 

> than UK. The

> developers went out of their way to say the only data stored on their

> servers would be the spelling errors so it can go on improving 

> correctionrates.  I think this needs to be checked out a 

> bit more. 

> 

> The layout is good and the idea seems clever if you always work 

> on-line -

> the problem is that for some students this may not always be the 

> case.  So I

> am not sure what they use when they are off-line - maybe they 

> will develop a

> freestanding model or pen drive.  

> 

> Licensing costs could be an issue - payment by year or whatever -

> possible

> GBPs follow -apologies. 

> Cost -subscription per annum Home user £100 to £160. Schools license

> dependent on PC's and users £50 to £2500

> 

> In UK I reckon we would be seeking corrections levels of above 

> 80% to make

> it better than spell checkers already on the market. The 

> developers seemed

> to think this was possible over time with the built in learning 

> systems. 

> 

> Best wishes E.A. 

> 

> Mrs E.A. Draffan

> Learning Societies Lab,

> ECS, University of Southampton,

> Tel +44 (0)23 8059 7246

> http://www.lexdis.ecs.soton.ac.uk

> http://www.emptech.info

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-

> bounces at athenpro.org] On

> Behalf Of Teresa LW Haven

> Sent: 04 July 2008 02:09

> To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'

> Subject: [Athen] FW: Introduction to Ginger Software's Automatic Text

> Correction Software

> 

> Hello, folks.  I'm sure many of you received this same 

> email from Ginger

> Software regarding their new correction software.  If 

> anyone who attends the

> AHEAD conference also checks out this vendor, would you please 

> share your

> impressions/observations with me upon your return?  On the 

> one hand, it

> sounds to me like a tool that would help a number of students 

> that I work

> with; on the other hand, it sounds almost too good to be true, 

> especiallyfor use by college and grad-school students.  

> Your feedback would therefore

> be greatly appreciated, since I am unable to attend the 

> conference myself.

>  

> Thanks in advance, and wishing folks a happy holiday (in the US, at

> least) weekend, and safe travels.

>  

> Teresa

>  

> +++++++++++++++++++++++

> Teresa Haven, Ph.D.

> Access Technology Specialist

> KOKUA Program

> University of Hawai'i Manoa

> +++++++++++++++++++++++

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: Miki Feldman-Simon [mailto:mikif at gingersoftware.com]

> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 8:20 AM

> To: thaven at hawaii.edu

> Subject: Introduction to Ginger Software's Automatic Text Correction

> Software

> 

> 

> Dear Teresa, 

> 

> Ginger software has developed revolutionary software which uses 

> contextto automatically correct text. 

> 

> Ginger's breakthrough technology can automatically correct whole

> sentences and most writing mistakes including, unusual spelling

> mistakes, misused words, grammar errors and vocabulary. Our software

> will enable students with language difficulties such as dyslexia to

> fulfill their true potential in school, at home and in the work

> environment by finally being able to write texts independently. 

> 

> Today's writing tools (MS Word and others) offer a poor service 

> to this

> community, struggling with writing, providing automatic 

> correction of <

> 20% of their writing mistakes. These are some examples of the results

> you could achieve by using Ginger in comparison to MS Word.

> 

> Student:                 I lick two pla artseid sed tom. 

> Ginger:                   I like to play outside said Tom. 

> MS-

> Word:             I lick two pal arsenide seed tom. 

>  

> Student:                 This is much wares than the other one

> Ginger:                   This is much worse than the other one

> MS-

> Word:             This is many wares than the other one 

>   

> Student:                 becals thay ea so fut.

> Ginger:                   Because they are so fat.

> MS-

> Word:             becalms they ea so fut. 

>   

> Student:                  My idle holiday wood bee on a Geak Iland were

> the sea was clear blue and fild whith moultey coulerd fish and 

> the sun

> givs just anuf heat so it isnt cold but it isnt scorching hot

> Ginger:                  My ideal holiday would be on a Greek Island

> where the sea was clear blue and filled with multi colored fish 

> and the

> sun gives just enough heat so it isn't cold but it isn't 

> scorching hot

> MS-

> Word:             My idle holiday wood bee on a Geake Inland were the

> sea was clear blue and field with molten cooler fish and the sun gives

> just annul heat so it isn’t cold but it isn’t scorching hot 

>   

> Student:                 I live ner scul. I lik nater 

> Ginger:                   I live near schools. I like nature 

> MS-

> Word:             I live nerd scull. I like natter 

>  

> Ginger's revolutionary solution will automatically correct 95% 

> of the

> mistakes people with learning difficulties make, providing this

> community with a life changing experience.

> 

> Ginger also offers a set of complementary tools that enable educators,

> and parents to analyze and track students' progress. The system 

> providesdetailed reports and analysis of most frequent mistakes 

> at student /

> class / school / district level. 

> 

> We also have very valuable data to share with the research 

> community -

> the first large database of dyslexic people's writing mistakes, tagged

> with user's age and the mistakes' source  (analysis of 

> common factors

> and properties of the mistakes). 

> 

> We will be exhibiting at the AHEAD conference and would like to 

> set up a

> time to meet there if you are available. 

> 

> Looking forward to your reply, 

> 

> Miki 

> -- 

> 

> 

> Miki (Michal) Feldman-Simon

> 

> VP US Operations

> 

> Ginger Software

> 

> Cell: 1 617 230 6600

> 

> MikiF at gingersoftware.com

> 

> www.gingersoftware.com

> 

> Ginger Software is dedicated to enabling people with learning

> difficulties to dramatically improve their written communication.

> 

> 

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> 

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