I’m currently enrolled in full-time online classes, and I frequently work on assignments at my desk with an Amazon Echo Dot by my side. I’ve been using Amazon Alexa and Echo devices for online learning for many years now, because I find it to be less distracting compared to having my phone or tablet with potential distractions nearby when I really need to focus on writing or other assignments. Here is how I use Amazon Alexa to help with online learning, hybrid virtual classes, and online graduate school as a student with low vision.
Use built-in functions to limit screen time
Instead of opening a new tab or looking at another display, I can ask Amazon Alexa to help perform a variety of tasks, including:
- Perform basic calculations
- Spell out/define words
- Translate words/phrases from one language to another
- Answer questions that can easily be verified online, such as “what area code is this?”, or “how far away is this location?”
Asking Alexa to perform these tasks helps minimize the risk that I will get distracted when opening a new tab, and I can also use it without leaving the program I am currently working with. It’s great for checking math when working on an assignment or figuring out what word I want to use in an essay. While I haven’t found a way to use Amazon Alexa as an elaborate calculator (I’ve linked my favorite calculator apps below), it works great for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing long strings of numbers, as well as calculating percentages.
Related links
- Five Accessible Calculator Apps For Low Vision
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Write
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Listen To History
- Free Accessible Periodic Tables For Low Vision
Adding reminders
When is that discussion board post due again? I can easily ask Alexa to set reminders for me for different days and times so that I can keep track of assignment deadlines, outline a schedule for when I want to complete certain tasks, or even just simple reminders about meetings or video calls. Users can add reminders within the Alexa app by going to the Reminders menu, or say “Alexa, remind me to do this task on this day and time.”
Related links
- Low Vision Assistive Technology For Discussion Board Posts
- How I Use Blackboard With Low Vision
- Tips To Stay Organized In Virtual Classes
- How I Use Moodle With Low Vision
- How I Use Canvas With Low Vision
Create a work-at-home routine
For users that benefit from having verbal/audio prompts or having a structured, consistent schedule, the Routines section in the Amazon Alexa app can be used to configure reminders that will play at specific times or intervals, which can include reminders to stretch, eat meals, or start working/stop working for the day. If I find myself writing a lot and forgetting to do other tasks, I will enable a routine so that I can use the audio prompts to stay on track with other tasks and not forget to eat or leave my room for hours.
Related links
- Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
- How I Write Research Papers On Accessibility Topics
- Activity Ideas For Vision Breaks
Setting alarms or timers
One of the things that I dislike about Routines is that users are not required to acknowledge prompts with their voice, which means that reminders can be ignored if someone is tuning out their surroundings. After I noticed that I would miss some of the reminders if I was listening to a screen reader or not paying attention, I started using alarms and timers more frequently because I would have to turn those off with my voice and they were harder to ignore. This can also be helpful for timed writing exercises when outlining papers or short study sessions.
Related links
- How I Outline Research Papers With OneNote
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- Options For Attending College Classes Remotely
Read Kindle titles with Amazon Alexa
Several of my textbooks offer options for reading with text-to-speech on Kindle, which means that I can also listen to them on the Amazon Echo. Asking Alexa to read from Kindle will open up the most recent book in the Kindle library and start reading from the last saved location in the book. Books are read out loud with Alexa’s voice and users can adjust playback settings with their voice, including:
- Asking for a specific Kindle book title
- Sharing more information about the book being read
- Pause, stop, or restart reading the book
- Navigate through the book by chapters, or by time intervals
- Slow down/speed up Alexa’s reading speed
- Set or cancel a timer for Alexa to stop reading
To enable playing Kindle books, users will need to enable the Kindle Assistive Reader in the Alexa app, which can be found in the Settings menu under Accessibility. Titles must have support for text-to-speech to be compatible with the Amazon Alexa.
Users who download books to the Kindle app from Libby/OverDrive can have their content read out loud with Kindle Assistive Reader.
Related links
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Read
- Amazon Kindle App and Low Vision Accessibility
- Kindle Unlimited Accessibility For Visual Impairment
Listen to flashcards
Need to study for an upcoming quiz or test? Users can create their own custom flashcards using the Flashcard skill with Alexa Skill Blueprints for free, with no coding needed. The flashcard skill was created to help people study and master comments by voice using audio-based flashcards. Users can create multiple different topics, though they must use a different skill name for each category. This is a fantastic skill for learners who prefer audio formats or that consider themselves “auditory learners” since the flashcards can be accessed entirely non visually.
Related links
- Creating Custom Flashcards With Amazon Alexa
- Brainfuse Online Tutoring and Low Vision Accessibility
- How I Use Quizlet With Low Vision
- Language Learning Tips And Resources For Low Vision
- The Best Study Tips For Auditory Learners
Taking breaks to exercise
Sitting at a desk for too long can get tiring, so I try to take short stretch breaks, do guided audio workouts, focus on meditations, or otherwise get moving with Amazon Alexa by just turning on some music. Users can ask Alexa to give them a workout or suggest exercises, though these are typically chosen at random. For custom workouts, I highly recommend using Alexa Skill Blueprints for audio workouts or finding other audio exercise or meditation playlists.
Related links
Turn Echo into a white noise machine
Amazon Echo devices come with a built-in white noise machine, which sounds like a fan and can be used to block out distracting background noise. By default, the white noise skill will remain on for an hour, though users can also ask Alexa to loop the skill by asking “Alexa, loop white noise”, which will play the noise until the user tells it to stop. Looping will be enabled by default when the skill is enabled in the future unless the user asks Alexa to turn off looping or set it for a specific time— for example, “Alexa, play white noise for two hours.”
For users that are not a fan of fans, Amazon Alexa offers several options for ambient noise including green noise, brown noise, and other environmental audio tracks. Some popular options that I’ve enabled include:
- Ocean sounds or ocean waves
- Icy snowstorm
- Brown noise
- Campfire sounds
- Thunderstorms
- Classical music
- Study playlists on Amazon Music or Spotify
Users can enable skills within the Amazon Alexa app or by asking Alexa to enable a skill, such as “Alexa, enable ocean sounds.”
Related links
- Audio and Nonvisual Entertainment Ideas For Blind and Low Vision
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You With Art
Provide a random value
Alexa can be pretty random at times, which can be helpful when it comes to tasks like flipping a coin, picking a number between two values, rolling dice, or otherwise generating random values. While not exactly related to online classes, my friend was excited to find out Amazon Alexa could roll D20 dice, which was a central part of an accessible game they were playing with friends after finishing their homework for the week.
Related links
More ideas for how Amazon Alexa can help with online learning
- I purchased my Amazon Echo Dot several years ago, and I love its screen-free display. Learn more about choosing virtual assistant devices in Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Smart Speakers
- Wondering how my assignments are organized? Read How I Organize Digital Files For My Classes
- Another cool way I have used Amazon Alexa is to listen to podcasts on topics that I am learning about in school. I share some recommendations for specific Alexa skills in How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Listen To History, and other ideas in Audio and Nonvisual Entertainment Ideas For Blind and Low Vision
- I connected smart plugs and lights to Amazon Alexa to control the brightness and change light colors in my room, and it has been a game changer for managing eye strain. Learn more in Lighting And Low Vision and Ten Ways To Reduce Eye Strain From Screens With Technology
Published May 12, 2020. Updated November 2024