ERIC Number: EJ1074665
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Speech Recognition, Disability, and College Composition
Nelson, Lorna M.; Reynolds, Thomas W., Jr.
Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, v28 n2 p181-197 2015
This study examined the composing processes of five postsecondary students who used or were learning to use speech recognition software (SR) for college-level writing. The study analyzed their composing processes through observation, interviews, and analysis of written products over a series of composing sessions. This investigation was prompted by a perceived lack of published research on SR and the writing processes of college students with learning disabilities (LD) as well as a dearth of research in the area of assistive technology (AT), specifically in college writing courses. While some students dropped out of the study before its completion, results confirmed earlier, limited research that found SR to be an effective writing technology for some college students with chronic spelling difficulties but indicated that college writers with attentional challenges and/or physical difficulties keyboarding may benefit from using SR, too. Findings also suggested that a subset of successful SR users may demonstrate a strong aversion to formal planning but that some planning does occur because SR requires users to formulate sentences silently and then express them clearly and continuously, further indicating that writing processes during dictation may be more internally focused than the general processes of writers while keyboarding. Finally, the study noted that SR is not yet suitable for general use in the college composition classroom; thus, SR will likely remain an AT rather than a new media technology adopted for broader use. Therefore, it is incumbent on disability service providers to identify students who may benefit from SR and offer access and training on their campuses.
Descriptors: Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Computer Software, Assistive Technology, Writing (Composition), Observation, Interviews, Learning Disabilities, Writing Instruction, Program Effectiveness, Educational Technology, Cerebral Palsy
Association on Higher Education and Disability. 107 Commerce Center Drive Suite 204, Huntersville, NC 28078. Tel: 704-947-7779; Fax: 704-948-7779; e-mail: ahead@ahead.org; Web site: http://www.ahead.org/publications/jped
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A