Soniq Interaction Modes: Giving Your Book Different "Perspectives"

Think of Interaction Modes as a set of specialized "eyeglasses" for your pen. When the pen is in a certain mode, it "sees" the same picture in a different way.

Instead of just playing one sound for a picture, you can define different behaviors for each mode. The child can switch between these modes by tapping a special mode sticker (usually one icon for each enabled mode).

The Four Standard Modes

In Soniq, you can enable up to four different modes for your project. Each mode provides a different "perspective" on the same picture:

1. Listen mode
   • Mental model: “This tells me the story.”
   • Usage: Advances or complements the story using playful adult narration. It can be used to extend sparse or wordless pages and build continuity across the book.
2. Learn mode
   • Mental model: “This explains things.”
   • Usage: Provides implicit learning by explaining facts, emotions, motivations, or cause–effect relationships. Vocabulary and depth scale with the target age range, avoiding a lecturing tone.
3. Ask mode (passive)
   • Mental model: “This makes me think.”
   • Usage: Asks a question related to the same picture. No answer input is required. On a repeat tap, the answer may be revealed. Questions reinforce understanding and curiosity (e.g., "How many letters A are in the title?").
4. Play mode (stateless only)
   • Mental model: “This is a game.”
   • Usage: Observation-based challenges only. Examples: “Can you find something red on this page?”, “Which character looks worried?”, or “Tap all the animals you see.” No scoring, timers, or multi-step logic.

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How to Use Interaction Modes

Step 1: Enable the Modes

Go to Project Settings > Interaction Modes and check the "Enable Interaction Modes" box. Select which modes you want to include in your book (e.g., "Listen" and "Ask").

Step 2: Add Mode Icons

On desired pages, use Toolbar > Region Wizard > Interaction Modes to add the icons for the enabled modes. Tapping an icon switches the pen into that specific mode.

Step 3: Define Different Actions

When you edit actions in the Region Editor, you will now see a dropdown at the top to select the Interaction Mode. You can define unique actions for each enabled mode.

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Implementation Example: The Interactive Farm

Let's build a farm page that uses all four modes to create a rich experience.

1. Enable & Add Mode Icons

Enable all four modes and add their respective icons to your page layout. When tapped, each icon announces its mode (e.g., "Let's hear the story!", "Time for some facts!", "I have a question...", or "Let's play a game!").

2. The Cow (Four Different "Views")

• Listen Mode: "The cow is waiting patiently for the farmer to bring some fresh hay for breakfast."
• Learn Mode: "Cows have four stomachs to help them digest the tough grass they eat all day."
• Ask Mode: "The cow looks very happy today. Can you see what she is chewing on?"
• Play Mode: "Can you find the cow's tail? Tap it when you find it!"

To implement these, add different Speak Text or Play Audio actions for each mode.

3. The Rooster (Four Different "Views")

• Listen Mode: [Cock-a-doodle-doo sound] "The rooster woke up early today to make sure everyone else on the farm is awake too."
• Learn Mode: "Roosters crow to tell other roosters to stay away from their territory. It's their way of saying 'This is my farm!'"
• Ask Mode: "The rooster has very colorful feathers. How many different colors can you see on his tail?"
• Play Mode: "Can you find another animal on this page that has feathers? Tap them all!"

How it works for the child:

1. The child starts in Listen mode. They tap the Cow and hear about its morning.
2. They tap the Learn icon on the page. The pen says "Time for some facts!".
3. They tap the Cow again. Now, instead of the story, the pen tells them about the four stomachs!
4. They tap the Play icon. The pen says "Can you find the cow's tail?".
5. They tap the Cow tail, where you added a region with Speak Text only for the Play mode.