Image Spell Check – using an Android application to detect and correct spelling mistakes

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Monday I)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Technology supported learning

Proposal

Languages like English are introduced in early grades in developing country contexts, where teachers and parents might not have sufficient mastery over subject matter. Image spell check is an Android app developed by the authors to address this gap for spelling. A parent or a teacher can take a picture of their own work (say charts being put up on classroom walls) or students’ work (say homework a child is doing at home). The app scans this image for spelling mistakes and marks the incorrect words. Users can tap on the incorrect word to see suggestions for correct words. This has the advantage of:
• Technology filling a gap in human knowledge and skills
• Technology helping students learn a skill that they might not be able to learn otherwise

The app does all the processing locally, which means that it also works offline. Spelling error detection implemented on text, which identifies incorrect spellings and suggests correct spellings. Custom spell check software was developed to circumvent to achieve more accurate results.

Impact of the app is measured by: (1) Usage as reported from Google Playstore (2) Accuracy in the detection of spelling mistakes (3) Accuracy of recommendations of correct spelling (4) Feedback taken from a sample of users (parents and teachers). This app has been installed by 35 users in the two months since its development. A qualitative survey of 5 users was also conducted where they provided (1) positive feedback on its usefulness (2) requested improvements in technology itself, because sometimes incorrect words are not detected.

It would be good to get feedback on the usability of the idea at CIES, and how we could reach more users.

Link to the app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.datorific.radisc.app

Authors

• Radhika Kapoor, University of Pennsylvania

• Paras Doshi, University of Wisconsin-Madison