We’ve always believed that the best way to create a tool for students is to build it with students. Our approach to innovation is rooted in listening – really listening – to the people who rely on our products the most. Through one-on-one interviews, open feedback sessions, and continuous iteration, we’re always pushing to uncover the challenges students face and find creative solutions – something our Product Team happens to be very good at.
The power of summarisation: what students told us
In our recent user interviews, one thing kept popping up: our students love Tailo’s summarisation feature.
- “You learn a lot from the summaries. It gives me an idea of what’s happening in the paper, and then I can go through and identify what the argument is”
- “Before Tailo, I’d ask ChatGPT to summarise things for me. Now, it’s just there, and it’s so useful.”
- “The AI summary is so helpful. I didn’t even think about doing this before Tailo!”
Tailo summaries were students’ secret weapon, giving them a birds-eye-view of their reading materials before diving into the details. But, as much as students loved Summaries, they didn’t hold back on what could be better.
- “It would be really useful to have a summary at the end of each section. Maybe at the end, and then I could go back and see what’s relevant.”
- “Maybe having summaries of each section could help me get to the key points for specific parts.”
From scribbles on a page to reality…
Bringing Section Summaries to life was a collaborative journey. We started with sketches, exploring how these summaries could best fit into Tailo’s distraction-free environment. Our goal with all our features is to make the user journey as widely accessible as possible.
Prototypes followed, with rounds of testing to ensure the feature didn’t just meet expectations but exceeded them.
Students told us what they needed, and we listened. Section Summaries is the result of countless interviews, feedback sessions, and testing rounds. It’s not just a feature – we see it as a collaboration. By turning students’ pain-points into tailored solutions, we’ve created something that truly fits their workflow and enhances their learning experience.
Introducing Section Summaries…
With Section Summaries, students will now see a concise recap at the end of each section. Here’s what that means for study sessions:
- Save time: Grasp key points without re-reading
- Stay focussed in one environment: No need to toggle between tools or lose your train of thought
- Improve understanding: Understand content as you go, one section at a time
This feature is all about making learning smoother, faster and more effective – all while staying in one place.
With Section Summaries, we’ve made it easier for students to grasp key points without losing focus or jumping between tools. This feature is all about saving time and improving understanding – making learning more efficient and effective for students and assessors alike.
Why Tailo stands out
Tailo’s approach is different: everything is designed to fit naturally into how you already work, with an emphasis on simplicity and accessibility. In fact, in our student survey, we found that when given the choice, 60% of students chose Tailo over other reading tools.
With Section Summaries, we’ve taken what you loved about Tailo’s existing features and made it even better.
Built together with students
We’re proud to say: you asked, we delivered. So try Section Summaries today, and as always, let us know what you think! You never know, your feedback might just turn into our next high value feature!
Interested in learning more about how Tailo’s new Section Summaries feature is supporting hundreds of students in their research journey? Book in a call with our UK Education Manager, Joe Dawber for a virtual coffee chat today ☕
Meet the team who brought you this blog!
As a Marketing Manager at Estendio, Charlotte gets to combine creativity with purpose every day, championing accessibility and driving change for those who need it most. If you’re a DSA or Assistive Tech professional, or a student interested in getting involved in thought leadership blogs, social collaborations or events, get in touch with Charlotte here!
Linda is Estendio’s Director of Product. With a strong passion for educational accessibility, Linda leads the creation and enhancement of Tailo’s innovative solutions, ensuring they effectively support students’ diverse learning needs. She also heads up the team that ensures student insights are taken onboard for future updates!
Joe is Estendio’s UK Education Manager, and is your go-to person for all things DSA. If you want to know more about Tailo, book a demo, or get your own Tailo licence, catch him for a chat here!
Ben is Estendio’s Head of Partnerships and supports AT professionals and students across K-12 and higher education in the US. If you’d like to learn more about how you can get free access to Tailo or learn more about how the tool can help your students, get in touch with him here.