Save favourites (frequent) phrases and list them

[arasaac-dga]

Add an action in "accumulated phrase" actions that allow the user to save a phrase in a favourite (frequent) list that, after that, can be shown in some way to the user in a specific grid or visor ordered in some way (by date or most used or....) The user will be able to select and play directly whatever stored phrase in the list.

This is a general idea for an important development that we can explain and define better when it is developed.

[klues]

Proposal, like just dicussed with @ms-mialingvo:

On the keyboard there is a new button like "stored phrases":

It redirects to a new page like this:

Functionalities:

• the there are new elements similar to the current "prediction elements" which dynamically show stored sentences. selecting one of the yellow elements puts the text/sentence into the collect element
• Previous/next page: load previous/next saved texts to yellow elements
• Category 1-4: loading texts saved for a specific category like "home", "work" or "leisure".
• Add to list: adds the current text from the collection element to the current list
• Delete: deletes the item of the phrases list which matches to the current text in the collect element. So for deleting: first select from list, then click "delete"
• rename: in order to rename the categories: enter some new label using the keyboard, click on "rename" and then on "Category 1" -> "Category 1" is renamed to new label. This "rename" functionality could be used also for other grids, so that people can edit grids on their own (to some extent).
• move up/down: same as "delete", but moves the selected phrase up or down in the list.

@arasaac-dga: what do you think? here's a backup of the configuration including this concept: stored-phrases-concept_2024-09-19_16-55_asterics-grid-full-backup.zip

[arasaac-dga]

We will study carefully next week and tell you what we think and make suggestions if it's neccesary.

[arasaac-dga]

We have been analyzing your initial proposal for this new, very interesting and in-demand feature and we have some questions and suggestions to make regarding this, especially considering users with a lower language level, who are the majority of those we have in the educational environment.

1) Reading your proposal, it is not clear to us and, therefore, we would like to point out that the sentences should be stored not only with text but also with pictograms just as they have been composed in the accumulated phrase. Many of our users do not have access to reading and writing or are just starting to do so, so for this feature to be useful, they need the sentences to be stored just as they have created them (only picts, picts+text or only text).

2) We understand that there are users who handle many stored sentences and need categories for better classification and therefore, this possibility must be provided. But if we think about our lower-level users who manage a small number of phrases, we would see the need for:

2.1 That the use of categories could be activated/deactivated from the configuration and, if it were activated, they could also be managed from there (creation of new categories, renaming, deletion,...). The management of the categories can be maintained from the board of stored phrases as you propose, but we understand that this is only for very advanced users. For our users, this management on the board itself would not even be advisable, since they can make changes to the categories that the professional or family does not want (for them we understand it's enough with not add buttons like rename, delete,... in the stored phrases board).

2.2 If the use of categories is deactivated, the "Add to list" button would store the phrase in a general list (or in a hidden general category, as is more convenient). We understand that this button could be placed, if desired, on the global board, next to, for example, the Play button so that, without having to access the accumulated phrases board, the user could add the phrase to the list directly.

2.3 If the use of categories were activated (for users of a higher level) the "Add to list" button located on the global board next to Play, for example, could show a pop-up window (like the one for searching for a word) in which the categories were shown in panel/board mode to select which category to add it to.

[ms-mialingvo]

@arasaac-dga Just for context, @klues and I discussed this while talking about which functionalities would be important for a text-only AAC gridset. So all the functionalities in the proposal are indeed with advanced users in mind.

For which occasions would you store full sentences with pictograms in the device?

[arasaac-dga]

@ms-mialingvo as you can see we requested this feature more than a year ago because it is one of the most requested by the professionals and families of our users of low-mid level. But it's a feature that was set in a pending status until the moment @klues can develop it. So, it's a feature very useful for our users and due that Benjamin is going to develop, we have to make it useful for our users too. Of course, high-level users or keyboard-only users need to store more phrases but our users need it too for several reasons.

One of them is that stored phrases allow us to make the communication quicker in some cases using frequently used phrases avoiding fatigue and frustration. So make the communication more agile.

On the other hand, stored phrases can be used in the process of learning reading and writing. For example, the professional can store the phrases that want to work along one quarter or are going to use for a Didactic Unit or for a specific activity.

Of course there are more cases of use. The most important is that it is a requested feature by users and the development must be compatible with all the users, yours and ours. Our users have some specific needs different as yours like store the phrases not only in text mode or the possibility or not of managing categories.

[ms-mialingvo]

@arasaac-dga Thanks for your answer. I'm just trying to figure out whether it makes sense to expand on our proposal to make it useful for "your" users or whether it makes more sense to have two full on different set-ups/layouts for each group, to start with. (Those are my main users too, I just can't think of a situation where such symbolated text could be useful for them at the moment, which is why I'm asking.)

One of them is that stored phrases allow us to make the communication quicker in some cases using frequently used phrases avoiding fatigue and frustration. So make the communication more agile.

I wonder if having to find a specific phrase in a list of phrases you want wouldn't be more difficult when each word has a pictogram instead of each sentence only having one pictogram, as for example in the topics or quick phrases sites of TD Snap. But maybe if you have a very small amount of sentences it's not an issue.

On the other hand, stored phrases can be used in the process of learning reading and writing.

There are arguments against symbolated text for literacy instruction https://www.buildingwings.com/blog/pitfalls-of-using-symbolated-text-for-literacy-instruction/ but opinions differ. And I'm sure there are other good situations where symbolated text helps, so I understand the need for it.

Anyway, it seems to me that rather than klues programming things like 'activating/deactivating' of categories and so, it might suffice for users who don't primarily communicate through letters to have a full-on separate layout/site, that wouldn't include category buttons and that wouldn't include options like 'rename', 'move' and where teachers would adapt the layout as necessary, respectively manually set up categories ( = link to other sites) if necessary?

The way klues and I discussed it, as far as I remember it, the user would type the setence into the speech bar, then go themselves to the page in the screenshot, change category if necessary, then click on 'add to list' and then the sentence would be added to that list. Because the 2.2. and 2.3. suggestions while nice would be difficult to program? Is that correct, @klues?

[arasaac-dga]

From our point of view, since Benjamin is going to do this development, the ideal thing is that he responds to all levels and hence our suggestions. Of course, these are not incompatible with those you have made since we completely agree that the design of the accumulated phrases board for high level users should be as proposed and the board itself should include all the options to manage the phrases (add, delete, rename,...) and the categories (add, delete or rename). Given the flexibility that Asterics Grid has, we, from the beginning, thought that the accumulated phrases board for our users should only have buttons to move between the list of phrases (up/down) and to move between pages, in addition to the button to add phrases to the list. In addition, as you rightly point out, our users usually handle a small number of phrases (5-10) so selecting them is relatively simple.

But we do consider that since we do not want our users to be able to manage the phrases, especially, delete or rename them (since in our experience we already know what will happen) and that, in the case of needing some category (because they are at a medium level) we do not want them to be able to manage them either (create them, delete them or rename them), we propose that a parallel management in the administration area of ​​the stored phrases and their categories would be necessary since in these users it is the professional or the family who manages these aspects.

Ultimately, we believe that it is the job of @klues to evaluate carrying out the implementation so that it responds to both needs that are not incompatible and that we believe can be managed together without any problem, either as you have proposed only from the stored phrases board or alternatively from the administration area for those cases in which it is not desired that the user be the one to have the freedom to do so.

[klues]

Much text to read here ;)

Just my short evaluation:

1. I don't think it's a problem to add the button for adding something to a list of phrases in the global grid next to the bar. It will be just an action like "save content of bar to list of phrases" and this could be done with any element anywhere.

2. It also shouldn't be a problem to limit the features of deleting items from the list or using or renaming categories by simply not adding elements with the actions which can do that.

3. regarding managing the lists of phrases somewhere else, probably there should a place where it's possible to do it. Thematically it would fit to the existing "manage dictionaries" menu, because dictionaries and these phrases lists are relatively similar.

4. regarding also saving symbols, not only text, it probably will be some more work to implement it, but it's good to know, that it should be possible, so I can keep it in mind when designing the whole thing, to either develop it right away or at least design the architecture in a way that it will be easier to add it in the future.

I don't know when I can start this, for now I'll have to start focusing on the netidee-funded thing of improving the legacy library for the grid layout and within this hopefully also improvements of customizing the layout (e.g. colored borders, better layout on mobile phone with smaller gaps, selecting multiple elements in edit mode, ...)

[arasaac-dga]

We are happy to know that all possible options for this feature are possible, indeed store the phrases with pictograms/images too (although it supposes more development). It's good to retain the flexibility of Asterics Grid that makes it an invaluable tool. Aspects like 1 or 2 are probes of it because you can design the communicator adding or not the options you desire considering the final user needs. When you can start to develop this feature (we agree that there are other priorities like you comment), you have a better idea of what we need and what would be neccesary to include in this new feature.