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People who are practiced in using text‐to‐speech can drive listening speeds to surprisingly high limits. Here, we investigate the extent to which people who are otherwise untrained, with and without dyslexia, can increase their reading speed when forcibly accelerated visual or auditory presentations are used in isolation or in tandem. The experiment examined the reading speed and comprehension of 43 college students using three methods enabled by software on a handheld device: forcibly accelerated visual augmentation, auditory text‐to‐speech, and a combination of the two. We found that both typical and impaired readers attained the highest reading speed using the combined method, controlling for comprehension. Importantly, those with dyslexia using the combined methods reached the equivalent reading speed of typical readers using paper, visual, or auditory methods, with no loss in comprehension. Findings here suggest that in future evolutions—using technologies available today—parallel neurological pathways for language processing can be exploited to optimize reading for those impaired.

This chapter explores three broad principles of user-centered design methodologies, including participatory design, iteration, and usability considerations. We discuss characteristics of teachers as an important type of ITS end user, including barriers teachers face as users and their role in educational technology design. To exemplify key points, we draw upon our own experiences in developing an ITS for writing strategies (i.e., the Writing Pal). We conclude by offering a tentative design approach—the Design Implementation Framework (DIF)—that builds upon existing cyclical design methods but with some tailoring to ITS and educational technology contexts.