To reply to Tim Symons
Actually, as an assessor AND a Dragon user, I'd say that Dragon (up to and including 9, since I haven't tried 10 yet) isn't spectacularly good at anything... it "falls over and dies", as you so quaintly describe it, at just about any hurdle, which is why I tend to recommend it as little as possible - since I don't want to be sued for causing terminal frustration in the student (joking, but there are days when this feels like it could be true).
VRS is a lovely concept, and when ALL the problems are resolved no doubt it will be wonderful, but there are so many factors (user fatigue/endless microphone (re)positioning etc) that reduce accuracy that it's rarely fully effective, let alone a magic wand.
Yes, I certainly do meet students who think that Dragon will take the entire lecture straight off a digital recording, however if they thought that when they came in, they won't be thinking it when they go out...
Used creatively though - with the user listening to the recording and then dictating THAT into Dragon, it is possible (though time consuming) to transcribe the entire lecture using Dragon - but why would you want to? Ensuring that the student has effective note taking skills would make a lot more sense, the technology should be a supplement to that - not a replacement for it, otherwise the student will end up with notes the size of telephone directories and revision will be a nightmare.
And please, with regard to your final comment - let's not get to finger pointing, eh? It's so unhelpful.
K
Karen Farmer
DSA Needs Assessor
Professional & Academic Development (PAD)
University of Bedfordshire
Park Square, Luton
LU1 3HZ
Tel: 01582 74 3422
Internal ext: 3422
Fax: 01582 489349
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