Speech-to-Text Assistive Software

   
    College is a tough place to be for everyone. There are deadlines, papers, assignments, labs, and lectures. It is even more difficult for those students who need extra help, whether it be wheelchair bound students or students with learning disabilities. A particular group of students with disabilities that I have seen excel in college life recently are deaf students. In a class a couple semesters ago we had a deaf student who brought in assistive technology, provided by the school, to help her actually understand the lecture. Lectures for deaf students are among the biggest hardships I've seen in a long time. However, this student had the most amazing software. What she did was provide the professor with a microphone that he clipped to his lapel or jacket, and as he spoke everything he said was transcribed onto a word document. From there, she took her own notes. I believe that this tool is a marvelous invention and should be used a whole lot more in classrooms, not just for the hearing impaired, but also for a various array of disabilities.

    There are three types of Speech-to-Text software that are used in the education setting. Older models are those that use Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). This uses stenographic machines and computer software to translate what is said into a word document. It takes exactly what it is said when it is said and translates it; this is how it get's the term 'realtime'. This software is verbatim. Since it is an older software, another person types what is said on the stenographic machines and it is immediately transcribed onto a screen for the person who is hard of hearing to see. What's even niftier is that this software can send the information globally over the internet in realtime as well! Furthermore, the text displayed differentiates between speakers and describes sounds. Another model, which is almost exactly like this one, is Computer-Assisted Note taking (CAN). It uses the same steps, but is not word for word like CART. The third software used, which is used a lot more now than CART, is Typewell. It uses the same basic idea and steps, but is a more updated software program.

    The situation that I saw however, the student didn't need a stenographer to type what was said; the microphone picked up what was said and typed it into the document. There are several softwares that do this, some of which come standard on a PC now. Microsoft XP and Vista both come with Voice Recognition software, where you can run your entire computer via voice. For note taking, you open Notepad, command the computer (via mouse) to 'dictate' and then everything spoken into the microphone is transcribed onto the document. If this is not enough of a service, there is a software called Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This works the same as the Microsoft programs, but has its own documentation processors that transcribe the speech. You can make letters and more in the programs. Yet another software that is even more innovative is that of VoiceBase. This software is entirely internet based. It is operated the same way: using a microphone to translate into text, however, this software records the speech, translates it, and posts it on the internet. You can search your recordings for a specific phrase or word, and you can share via Facebook or Twitter. This would be an excellent tool for the classroom!

The advantages of the tool are obvious: ease of accessibility for students who are deaf, a backup tool for other disabled students, a teaching tool for students on extended absences or sick students, blog posts for homeschooled students/parents, as well as successful integration and involvement of disabled students. However, there are some disadvantages. For example, the students cannot see the inflection of the voice. Also, if there is a joke transcribed, they may not understand because it is spoken differently than read. Furthermore, if you have an ESOL student, they may not be able to understand all of the words written or spoken. Finally, you may have a student who does not have access to the computer at home.

    I do believe that this is a tool that should be standard in schools. There are so many ways to use Speech Recognition, whether it is in a special needs classroom or a general education classroom. It is beneficial for children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and hearing impairments. It is also a valuable tool for the teacher, so that they themselves can see what was discussed in class for that lesson. This information can be used in so many ways (blogs, podcasts, make-up work, etc.) that it is obvious it is an essential tool for education today.

For more information, follow the following links:
Microsoft
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
VoiceBase
CART/CAN
TypeWell