TERRY HART wrote:

>
>
> Dyslexia
> I prefer to use strategies combined with the individuals strengths to
> allow them to develop skills with the aid of technology (the
> holistic approach). Voice activated has it's place but it seems to me
> to be like trying to overcome an arterial bleed with a sticky
> plaster. It may hold the situation but it does nothing to improve it.
> Most of the problems that the dyslexic individual experiences cannot
> be addressed by voice activated, indeed it could  be seen to hinder
> overall development.
>
> Terry Hart
> SWRAC
> University of Plymouth

Hi

I don't really understand what Terry is saying here.  What strategies and
what individual skills?  Arterial bleed and sticky plaster?  It might
hold the situation...?  ...it could be seen to hinder overall
development?

What sort of development are you referring to?  Please explain.

One of our students who has dyslexia recently visited an Access Centre
(not SWRAC).  Like several before her, she was told that Voice Rcognition
(VR) software is 'no good'.  She has since  tried Dragon V4 on a fast UCW
machine and described it as 'brilliant and the answer to a prayer'.
Incidentally, the same assessor has been saying the same thing for the
past 18 months - I suspect that his reasoning may be based on his
experience with an early version of the software running on a slow PC.
Today's kit really is altogether different.

It's true that some students do not get along with VR - particularly if
they are not very IT literate, if their reading is particularly weak, or
if they expect the software to write the assignments for them.  However,
dismissing the software out of hand is a mistake.  It can be the answer
for some 'individuals'.  Students with dyslexia who have spent 14 or more
years at school trying unsuccesfully to master the business of
simultaneously thinking, composing, spelling and transcribing, are
unlikely to crack it during three years at university - even if they
could find the time.  I'm not sure that many will find the time, either,
to persevere with Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing - which is the package
that  some Access Centres seem to recommend as an alternative to VR. (I
acknowledge that students won't have the time to struggle with VR either
- but sound advice and/or training make learning how to use it fairly
straightforward.)

I took delivery of a new PC this afternoon (P3 700mhz).  After loading
Dragon NS V4, I enrolled my voice on the programme, which took about 7
minutes (I understand that the enrolment time is even shorter with the
new Version 5).  I then read a sentence to test that it was functioning
correctly.  The recognition was perfect - not a single error.  I had not
used the Vocabulary Builder - that is unnecessary anyway unless you are
using particularly specialised language.

Of course, when I use it to dictate longer passages, it will misrecognise
the odd word - but correcting those errors is no big deal and the
recognition will get better and better.

I'm not suggesting that the software should be recommended for all
dyslexic DSA applicants (though if a student receives it and doesn't make
good use of it, it is hardly going to bring the DfEE to its knees) but
that they should at least be enabled to try it out on a fast PC when
visiting an Access Centre.

At Worcester, we have researched VR use by students and staff including
those with dyslexia or RSI.  For more info go to:

http://www.worc.ac.uk/services/equalopps/VRproject.htm

The report is now available in HTML or Word format.

Regards

--
Peter Hill

Disability Coordinator
University College Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester
WR2 6AJ

Tel 01905 855413
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