Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Wed, Mar 03, 2010
Article by Laura Ketcham
Speech Recognition Software (Speech-to-text)
For students who have the ability to speak, but may have a mobility impairment that makes it difficult to type, speech recognition software makes using a computer in the classroom more accessible. Speech recognition software has also been proven beneficial for dyslexic students.
Speech recognition software allows an individual to speak into a microphone. Then, what is spoken is either typed into the current application, typically a word processing program, or used as commands to navigate the desktop and programs on a computer. Speech recognition software is widely used for voice dialing on cell phones and also for voice-activated command prompts when you call customer service lines; however, it is not as mainstreamed for day-to-day computer use.
Operating Systems & Office Suites
Windows XP and Windows 7 include speech recognition software. In Windows XP, this tool is accessible under the control panel speech icon. In order for the feature to work properly, it is highly suggested that you ‘train' the computer with the voice of the student who will be using the feature. The program learns their inflection and pronunciation so it can be used more effectively. This tool can be used to navigate the computer desktop and access various programs via voice commands.
Office 2003 also has speech recognition software. When activated, this will allow students to speak into the microphone, and then what is said will be typed on their Office documents. They can switch between dictation mode and voice commands. Dictation mode is when what the students speak into the microphone is being directly added to their file. Voice command is when the student speaks commands to access menus and tools in the program, like the File menu or Bold. The mouse and keyboard are still active when you are in dictation and voice command modes and will still typically be used in conjunction with the speech recognition program.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
One of the best speech recognition software programs is Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. The advantage of this program is that it works with many types of operating systems and office suites, including the most recent versions of Windows and Office. This program has more advanced features and recognition ability than the programs that are integrated into the Microsoft products.
Hints for Using Speech Recognition
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Be sure to train the program --, this will improve accuracy.
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Train the program in the room and circumstance in which it will be used.
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The room you are in must be fairly quiet in order for it to work properly.
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Purchase a higher-quality microphone that has a mute button.
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