WiVik - Word Prediction

WiViK includes WordQ™ state-of-the-art word prediction that saves time and energy. Word prediction incorporates user vocabularies to predict which word is being typed. Begin typing a word. When it appears in the WiViK keyboard, choose it and WiViK will finish typing it for you. This way, there is no need to type the whole word, thus reducing the number of keystrokes needed for typing.

If you need help deciding which word to use, each word can be read aloud to you before you make a selection.

WiViK learns and adapts to your writing style as you use it. However, if you wish, you can quickly and easily customize your writing vocabulary by  importing text from another file.

Using knowledge about the last word that you wrote, WiViK with WordQ also attempts to predict the next word in your sentence. An understanding of your vocabulary  requirements, and how you typically combine words ensures that the most relevant words are always presented.

Spelling

In addition to your personal vocabulary, the WordQ Dictionary may be referenced for its 60,000 words and powerful knowledge base of how words are used.  It also checks for the proper spelling of words as you type. When it encounters unfamiliar words, it makes them available for you to review.

While a large background dictionary spell checks your words, a smaller user vocabulary reflects your personal writing style and continually adapts  as you write. The smaller user vocabulary ensures that you are presented with words that you would typically use and understand, thus reducing confusion. A number of initial user vocabularies are included based upon elementary, intermediate, and advanced writing styles. You can further customize the user vocabulary by adding novel words and by importing text files. As you type, novel words and misspelled words are put aside for later review.

Topics

You can also identify groups of words that belong to topics you create such as your favorite sport, the family pet, or general math concepts. When  you write about one of your topics, its words will be given a higher priority.

Word prediction detail

Prediction dictionary and user vocabularies at different age and grade levels

The success of word prediction for spelling assistance depends strongly upon the dictionary and the prediction algorithm. In addition, certain levels of visual and cognitive skills are demanded of the user. These demands are important considerations for individuals who may also have visual deficits, attention problems and other cognitive concerns. Proper configuration of WordQ should help lessen these demands. Flexibility in presentation and interaction of the software is available to match the specific visual-cognitive needs and learning profile of the user. 

WordQ uses a self-adapting statistical model of prediction incorporating heuristics or practical rules. Underlying the prediction is a dictionary of approximately 60,000 words developed through linguistic analysis of written text from a variety of sources including samples of writings by students of different age levels. While a larger dictionary is possible, the instances of word usage beyond the 60,000 words are so small that the potential confusion of a truly misspelled word existing as a real obscure word outweighs the value of including obscure words.

The challenge of a word prediction system is not to show a list of all possible words, but to show a list of words that are potentially within the user’s vocabulary and intent. Thus, the developers very intentionally kept the dictionary at a realistically appropriate size for the intended population of users. Both a Canadian dictionary and a US dictionary are included. The Canadian dictionary was validated against the Gage Canadian 2000 dictionary. Both dictionaries also contain hundreds of proper names as well as towns, cities, provinces and states localized for Canada and the US. 

Associated with the dictionary is a database of frequency data for each word individually and in combination with other words in the dictionary. There is frequency data for approximately 1.25 million known word combinations. The effect of this linguistic knowledge is that WordQ emulates grammatical knowledge without specific grammatical tagging of words.

Word prediction actually occurs within what is called a user vocabulary. This is a smaller set of words that represents the user’s working memory. Several starting vocabulary templates are included with WordQ at different writing and age levels:

• Starter: This vocabulary is for people who are starting to write. It includes about 5000 words commonly used by writers up to grade 3 level.
   
• Intermediate: This vocabulary is for people who are writing at an intermediate level. It includes about 10,500 words commonly used by writers at a grade 2 to 8 level.
   
• Advanced: This vocabulary is for people who are writing at an advanced level. It includes about 15,000 words commonly used by writers at a grade 7 level and above.
   
• Blank: There are no words associated with this template. This template is used when you want to create your own list of words, rather than start from one of the other vocabularies. Teachers may find this useful for creating daily lesson plans around a very small set of words that are being taught.
   
• Standard Core: his template is used when you want to start with a limited number of words. It includes function words, days, months, numbers, colors, and provinces or states.
   
• Function Word Core: his template is used when you want to start with a profile that contains function words only. This template includes about 500 function words.

WordQ first requires the user to choose a starting template. Thereafter, WordQ can optionally self-adapt with use. In all cases, the background dictionary and its associated frequency data is always available. Thus, even if a Blank template is used, any words added to it will automatically have known word relationship and frequency information. As users progress through the grades, they can continue with their own user vocabulary, which will have adapted to their use. 

As the user begins typing, words that complete the first letter(s) are predicted based upon frequency of use. The next word, however, is predicted based upon the likelihood of following the previous word. In some cases, such as following a function word (e.g., “to”), the number of possibilities is vast and the user would likely need to select another letter. However, at this point the words that complete that letter are chosen from words that follow the previous word. This quickly limits the possibilities to very likely words as well as words in the correct form (e.g., present or past tense). Thus, WordQ will most likely show appropriate words in the correct form. There are additional rules or heuristics that consider the prior use a function or content word to adjust the probabilities. 

Simulation testing at Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre (Nantais, Shein and Johansson, 2001) with a number of different text sources suggests that WordQ can predict the desired word within 1 keystroke approximately 56% of the time; within 2 keystrokes approximately 72% of the time; and within 3 keystrokes approximately 86% of the time. 

When the user types a word outside of their vocabulary, it may be correctly spelled, it may be a spelling error, or it may be a novel word. If the word is correctly spell checked by the WordQ dictionary, the word may be added to the user vocabulary automatically (an optional setting). If the dictionary rejects the word, WordQ holds it for later review by the user. The user can then delete it as a misspelling or add it to their vocabulary as a novel word. Only correctly spelled words and those intentionally added to the vocabulary are shown in the word list.

Prediction options

There are four options associated with WordQ word prediction:

• Correctly spelled words can be automatically added to the user vocabulary. Novel and misspelled words are put aside for you to review.
   
• Words outside the user vocabulary can be predicted by drawing from the WordQ dictionary.
   
• Next words that follow the last word typed/selected can be predicted. While this optional feature has great market appeal, its value may be over-rated and it should be used with some caution as it may lead the user down an easy but incorrect path. Predicting the next word following some function words, such as “the” is generally meaningless, but predicting the next word after a content word may be more plausible. Some function-function word combinations are highly likely, such as “in the” and such word pairs are included as single predicted items in the standard core component of all user vocabularies.
   
• Word combinations can be automatically learned and the user vocabulary updated with this knowledge. Users who have trouble with grammar should not activate this option.

Customized topic-specific vocabularies

Customizing a vocabulary for specific needs is done at two levels. A user vocabulary may be customized for an overall writing style by importing samples of text files. Importing text is similar to the adaptation that occurs naturally over time, but it is done quickly. The user vocabulary may initially start as a blank or with just core function words. When text files are imported, they are automatically analyzed for word usage and the word prediction will then take on the writing style of the source documents. There are no limits on the number of user vocabularies that may be created.

You can also easily add and use topic lists of words/phrases that emphasize those words in the prediction process. For example, a topic may be a list of baseball terms, a list of Prime Ministers, or a list of dinosaurs. Topic words are essentially user vocabulary words that are singled out for boosting in the prediction process. Because they are user vocabulary words, they will have word usage data and hence they will be shown only when appropriate. When creating a topic list, novel words are automatically added to the user vocabulary.

While only one topic active can be active at a time, there are no limits on the number of topics that you use. You can switch between topics at any time (e.g., between sentences or paragraphs). When a topic is active, words within that topic are more likely to appear.

Content and design copyright by NanoPac, Inc. 1998 - 2003

We accept VISA, MC, AMX, Discover, approved purchase orders and checks.
Sales - 1-800-580-6086