Wieke Harmsen

How can AI and speech technology support reading education? This is a central question that Wieke Harmsen aims to tackle in her research. Learning to read is extremely important but also complex, and therefore requires many years of instruction and training. Digital reading tutors that employ AI technology offer new opportunities to support children in becoming skilled readers. For example, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology can be employed to investigate reading errors in detail and thereby obtain diagnostic insights on children's reading proficiency. In addition, ASR that is used in a reading tutor offers novel opportunities for children to practice reading. Wieke Harmsen investigates the development and use of such innovative technologies in educational settings.

Topics: speech assessment, child speech recognition, fair and responsible speech technology