Technology-Based Writing-Qualitative Study of the Writing Process When Students With Dyslexia Use Speech-to-Text

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Assistive Technology
• Writing Studies

Background:

• Students with severe dyslexia often face challenges in traditional writing.
• Speech-to-text (STT) technology is increasingly used as an assistive tool.
• Understanding the writing process with STT is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the writing processes of students with severe dyslexia using STT.
• To identify technology-based errors and their impact on writing.
• To analyze the revision process in technology-assisted writing.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using Hayes and Berninger's writing process model.
• Analysis of screencasts and verbal protocols from four students (aged 10-12) with severe dyslexia.
• Focus on a 7-week instructional program emphasizing STT and reading and writing technology (RWT).

Main Results:

• No conventional spelling errors were observed, but technology-based errors were frequent.
• Common errors included misrecognition of words and omissions (words/sentences).
• Identified error categories: homophonic words, suffix/morpheme errors, compound words.
• Revision involved correction, low-level, and high-level revisions, indicating an additional correction phase.

Conclusions:

• Technology-based errors necessitate a distinct correction process.
• STT recognition accuracy significantly influences writing flow and working memory load.
• Implications for improving STT technology and instructional strategies for students with dyslexia.