Beyond the Keyboard: Implementing Speech Recognition Technology for Writing & Universal Design for Learning

Date
2020
Authors
Pennington, Jon D.
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Menchaca, Michael P.
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Learning Design and Technology
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Speech Recognition (SR), a rapidly emerging technology used to compose text with voice, can provide some students with a writing tool more aligned with their strengths and preferences than a keyboard, touch-screen or pen. Students can become more proficient writers by selecting tools suited to their characteristics and learning to use those tools to produce effective results. Students can use SR as part of learning the writing process, all the while developing their skills as writers with that tool. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework designed to help teachers to better understand their students and proactively plan options and flexibility into lessons so that students can approach learning in ways that align with their strengths and preferences. This dissertation is composed of three papers that provide insight into how SR can be used to positively impact the writing experience of both teachers and their students. The first paper presents a literature review of thirteen empirical studies conducted between 1995 to 2018 on student use of SR for the writing process in K-12 and higher education environments. The second paper takes the form of a practitioner- based article with a call to action for teachers to integrate SR technology and UDL as part of their teaching of the writing process. This paper is based on findings, implications, and recommendations of the third and final paper presented by this dissertation. The third paper presents a qualitative case study of three teachers who used a UDL-based instructional design process to make pedagogical decisions about how using SR and other emerging technology tools can overcome challenges that arise from student interaction with the traditional writing curriculum. Findings from this third paper show how UDL provides a compelling context for teachers to integrate emerging technologies like SR into their lessons to provide strength-based learning experiences for students while also supporting their needs. This paper shows how UDL iv case study research can be conducted with the UDL Reporting Criteria (UDL RC), a set of guidelines recently developed for researchers and practitioners interested in conducting research and reporting on UDL implementation. Findings linking the three papers highlight the importance of how SR can provide students with the means to improve the quality and fluency of their writing. Findings also show that students can use SR as a writing tool while learning new writing strategies in the same way they would use a keyboard or pen. This is crucial, since the way in which a student completes a writing task can influence the outcome of success, and SR provides students yet another way to learn how to write beyond using a keyboard or pencil and paper. These findings may be used by teachers, parents, and students as they consider the adoption of SR as part of the writing process. Studies on speech recognition are an emerging area of educational research that has great potential for improving literacy.
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Educational technology, Educational psychology, Learning Design, Speech Recognition, Universal Design for Learning, Writing
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259 pages
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