Literacy Needs: 
Decision Making for Software Selection
 

Summary of Technology Assessment:  John was assessed for voice recognition on Dragon Naturally Speaking (v.3.0) but could not read the training passages and was not able to utilize the program.  Subsequently Dragon Naturally speaking Teen was trained and was able to recognize John's speech.  Dragon Naturally Speaking teen (v. 4.0) was trained.  Training was difficult for John because he was not able to read the passages independently.  Training was administered in sections.  John familiarized himself with thematerials, memorizing portions of the passages.  Training was done for almost 3 weeks, 2 times a week.  Once training was completed John spent several weeks training specific words anddictating simple passages to better train the program.

Summer 1998 -- John worked on training Dragon Naturally speaking (v. 3.0) at home over summer vacation.  Very little support was available to assist with training.  Training was never completed.
Fall 1998 -- Dragon Naturally Speaking Teen (v. 4.0) was trained and John was taught how to use the program.
Fall/Spring 1998/99 -- John began to utilize Naturally Speaking Teen for homework at home.  He was still not able to implement the program at school because of extraneous noise issues.  John was still unable to read and edit his work and needed the assistance of a talking word processor, e. g., Write Out:Loud.  Phrasing strategies in connected speech were implemented.  This not only helped with recognition, but also helped John with organization and punctuation.

June 2000 -- John is currently using Naturally Speaking Teen at home for homework and correspondence.  He still has difficulty at school when writing tasks are required.  John will attend high school next year and the possibility of using voice recognition at school will exist.

Permission to share this information is on the file at Munroe-Meyer Institute of Genetics and Rehabilitation, Scottish Rite Computer Supported Literacy Program.

Technology Links
Dragon Naturally Speaking Teen, Dragon Systems
Co:Writer, Don Johnston, Inc.
Write Out:Loud, Don Johnston, Inc
 
 

Spelling
X What is his or her underlying spelling pattern (deviant, prephonetic, phonetic, transitional, or standard speller)?
Y Is he or she a consistent first-letter speller?
Y Can he or she recognize a word spelled incorrectly?
Y Does the student think he or she can catch his or her spelling errors?

Form and Syntactic Maturity
N Does he or she have difficulty with the word order in sentences?
Y Does he or she have difficulty with grammatical features (e.g., pronouns, verb tense, present progressive)?
N Is he or she using complex sentence structures?
N Does he or she use complete sentences (e.g., sentences with no main clauses)?
N Do his or her sentences have agreement within and across other sentences?

Content and Vocabulary
N Does he or she have difficulty finding the right word to express meaning?
N Does he or she have a weak vocabulary?  Consider both everyday, favored words and specialty, sophisticated words.
Y Does he or she understand a variety of word meanings?
Y Does he or she avoid words because of spelling difficultites?

Fluency
N Is he or she able to easily generate writing ideas?
N Is he or she able to generate original ideas?
X What is the average length of text he or she is able to produce?

Organization
N Does he or she plan before writing?
Y Is he or she able to represent his or her thoughts in writing?
N Is he or she able to produce a cohesive writing product?  Is there a clear shape, sequence, or direction?
Y Are there differences in his or her written output when he or she is using a prewriting organizer?
N Does he or she use an organizational structure that is appropriate to the task?
N Does he or she produce a variety of types or writing products?
N Does he or she have a sense of audience when writing?

Editing
Y Is he or she willing to edit?
N Is he or she able to revise during the writing process?
N Does he or she revise after the first draft?
Y Is he or she a one-shot writer (does no revising)?
Y When the student’s text is read aloud, can he or she detect writing errors?

Visual and Auditory Discrimination Skills
Y Is he or she able to auditorily discriminate between  words?
N Is he or she sensitive to sound (classroom noise or synthetic speech?
? Would he or she be able to utilize on-line correction?
? How many features would he or she be able to utilize when writing without inhibiting the writing process?
N Is the student distracted by "extra" visual stimuli?

Attitudes and Beliefs
X How motivated is he or she to write?
N Does he or she enjoy writing?
N Does the student like to have others read his or her written work?
Y Does the student believe that people understand what he or she is saying when writing?
N Does the student believe that his or her papers look good (handwritten or word processed)?
N Does the student think he or she is a good writer?
N Does the student think he or she is a good speller?
N Does he or she persist when confronted with a difficult task?
N Is he or she a risk taker?

Approach and Strategy Use
? What strategies or problem-solving skills does he or she use when approaching a writing task?
Y Is he or she able to write independently (without assistance)?
Y Does he or she demonstrate any avoidance behaviors or strategies when writing?
Y Does he or she become frustrated when writing?

Illustrations
N Does the student need to produce writing products paired with illustrations?
N Does the student have motoric difficulty when illustrating?
Y Would an illustration program be motivating or provide the student with writing topics?

Writing Needs Summary
1. What penalizes student most in school (e.g.,  classroom goals, grading) as far as producing adequate writing products?  Ability to organize thoughts, motor ability to write, ability to edit 
2. Which of the above needs most negatively impacts his or her wriiting process?  That is, which need requires the most cognitive and/or physical effort?  Motor ability to write with pencil or keyboard
3. Ask the student what is most difficult about writing.  What is most enjoyable about writing?
4. Ask parents or teacher what student finds most difficult about writing.  What does he or she enjoy about writing? 
5. Does the student’s writing needs match the concerns of the student, parent, and teacher?  Yes

B. Writing Requirements Checklist

School Writing
X Fiction/narratives
X Descriptions
X Expositions
 Journals
X Creative writing
 Create books
 Plays and skits
 Riddles
 Rhymes
X Worksheets
X Reports
X Note taking
X Summarizing
X Outlining
 Poetry and songs
X Spelling practice activities
X Essay exams

Personal Communications
X Notes
X Letters
X Lists
 Journals/diary
 Personal feelings
 Personal experiences

Writing Requirements Summary
1. What types of writing products is the student currently completing at home and at school?  Notes, reports, test taking, worksheets
2. What types of writing activities would you like this student to be able to do in the future?  Creative writing activities, writing activities of greater length
3. How many writing tasks does he or she complete per class/day/week?  3-4 small tasks per day, 1-2 large tasks per week
4. What is the typical length required for each writing task?  variable
5. How much time is student given for each writing task?
6. How many hours or days is student given to complete each type assignment?
7. Does the time given match the time needed?  Time is adjusted to meet need
8. Does student need more time than is typically given to complete written tasks? yes

A. Features of Computer-Supported Writing

Keyboarding Assistance
X Access
X Speed
X Accuracy

Talking Word Processors
X Optional/required speech output
 Level of speech output
  Individual letters
  Sentences
  Paragraph
X  Selected (highlighted text)
X  Entire documents
X  Highlights units spoken
 Speaking rate adjustment
 Loudness adjustment
X Headphone/external speaker option
X Pronunciation editing

Types of Spelling and Vocabulary Support
 Spell Checking
X  At conclusion of document
X  Simultaneously
X  Error detection (with suggestions)
 Entering corrected words into document
X  Automatic spacing and capitalization
X  Copy model
X  Type from memory
X  Automatic insertion

Forms of Organizational Assistance
X Topic suggestions
X Writing style suggestions
X Completeness and accuracy queries
X Cohesion assistance

Grammar Assistance
X Error detection
X Grammar correction
X Grammar tutoring

Illustration Assistance
 Picture/art work
 Drawing tools/coloration

Computer Features Summary
1. Would the student benefit from auditory feedback on individual letters, words, sentences, entire documents?  Yes, especially during editing.
2. Would computer feedback be most helpful during the writing process or following completion of student’s writing?  Both, especially at completion.
3. Are the student’s spelling skills good enough that the spell checker generates the appropriate choices?  Most of the time.
4. Would the student prefer on-line (immediate) or end-of-document spelling error feedback?  Would he or she benefit from spelling suggestions?  Would he or she benefit from print or auditory feedback?  At the end so as not to interrupt student’s train of thought.
5. Would the student benefit from prompts cueing particular organizational structures?  Yes.
6. How severe are the student’s grammatical needs?  What level of feedback can he or she handle? Feedback does sometimes interrupt his thought process and cohesion of written work.
7. Does the student need to improve his or her keyboarding skills?  Yes, but motor ability may impede functional keyboarding.
8. Does the student need to produce writing products paired with illustrations?  Does the student have motoric difficulty when illustrating?  Would an illustrations program be movtivating or provide the student with writing topics?  No .

Reference:  Sturm, J. (1997). Decision making for software selection. Intervention in School and Clinic,32 (3).
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