“Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Ears”: An Analysis of Speech Recognition Software, Its Current Trend and Future Potential for Students With Dyslexia in an Educational Setting
By Phayer, John; Closing the Gap, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 31-36Publication Date: April/May 2011
Article discusses the use of voice recognition software for students with dyslexia. Voice recognition software is defined as a tool that allows users to speak into a headset and see their words instantly displayed on the computer screen with varying degrees of accuracy. Speech recognition software can be categorized according to the vocabulary size the software is capable of recognizing, the speech input type that can be processed, and the amount of training the application requires. Two styles of speech input exist: discrete speech, which works at slow speed, and continuous speech, which allows the user to dictate at a normal rate of speech. The former style has shown to be the more suitable for students with learning disabilities. The author contends that, although mostly considered a writing tool, using voice recognition software such as the Windows Vista or Microsoft Word 2003 speech recognition plug-in technology also holds potential for use as a learning tool within the area of education. Practical examples given are its use to aid in learning the alphabet and phonics or to support students in the area of learning a foreign language. However, this tool could be problematic for younger pupils, due to pausing and mispronouncing words as they speak. Three studies evaluating speech recognition software cited showed that using the technology was not a significant compensating strategy for postsecondary students with learning disabilities, resulted in considerably faster input than typing and handwriting for students aged 12 to 14 years with dyslexia, and, in an experiment using the speech recognition plug-in in Microsoft Word 2003, showing success for students with dyslexia in dictating single words and numbers while noting that the students struggled with the technology during initial training.
Published by: Closing the Gap, Inc. (Website:http://www.closingthegap.com)
