Dragon+Naturally+Speaking

=Dragon Naturally Speaking= ==

Description
Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking is the industry leader in assistive software designed for use by those who either have trouble typing or cannot type. Dragon Naturally Speaking allows the user to, “ Turn ideas into text at the speed of thought... (including) email, reports, spreadsheets, presentations, social networking, and more - quickly and confidently” (Nuance, 2011). Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) lives up to this advertising by offering one of the single best speech recognition software packages on the market, according to industry review leader CNET (Wenzel, 2008). Instead of using a keyboard and mouse (which is impossible for many users with disabilities), DNS allows users to operate nearly all of the most popular PC-based software through the use of voice commands. In addition, the newest versions of DNS allow the user to train the software, both to deal with accents or other voice-related issues and to learn new commands to deal with software that is not built into DNS to start with.

Below is a video from YouTube demonstrating DNS in action.

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Benefits
According to Nuance (2011), some of the benefits of DNS include:
 * Ease of accessibility for disabled individuals
 * Fast and accurate responses
 * Increased production speeds
 * Improved reading & spelling
 * Ability to multi-task using only voice
 * Increased student independence
 * Multiple accessibility options, including microphone, cellular telephone, and iPad and iPod support

DNS has also been proven effective in real-life situations. For example, one case study has demonstrated that, “…although there were large differences between the methods and experience of writing with the two technologies, there were no significant differences between the average letter lengths, numbers of paragraphs written and number of sentences used in each group of letters. Nor were there any significant differences in terms of readability, or typographical and grammatical errors” (Hartley, Sotto & Pennebaker, 2003). A second study, by Roberts and Stodden (2005), indicated that DNS can quite successfully be used as a compensatory strategy for postsecondary students with learning disabilities. This research is supported by, among others, the official Montessori system of schools, which are widely renowned as leaders in the field of education, where assistive technology in general and DNS in particular are used to, “…support academic and technological learning, and to facilitate each child’s computer literacy skills at developmentally appropriate levels” (Boyd, 2008).

An example video of DNS's real-life benefits can be found here: @http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/video/customer-testimonial/robinsonShort/default.asp

Pricing and Budgetary Considerations
The standard price for DNS Premium is $199. The student/teacher version, however, is priced at $99, and can be volume licensed as necessary (Nuance, 2011). Since each edition is licensed to a computer rather than to an individual, it is not necessary to license a copy for every student, but rather for the available number of computers. Since DNS can help schools meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and can be used in conjunction with existing technology, rather than replacing it, DNS is actually one of the more affordable accessibility options available. As volume licensing is negotiable through the maker, schools or districts in need of more than 5 copies of DNS may be able to negotiate better pricing.

Support Options
In terms of support, Nuance offers a number of options. To begin with, Nuance offers standard technical support for DNS for free for within 90 days of purchase, and through a fee-based system after the initial 90 days. Nuance also maintains a searchable knowledge base and a forum of experts and users that are accessible to customers for free at any time. Another support option comes from Nuance's self-produced training videos. Finally, many vendors offer packages including volume licenses of DNS, help setting up ADA-compliant classrooms using DNS, and post-sales support, based upon the vendor, rather than directly through Nuance (Nuance, 2011). = =

=References= Boyd, B. (2008). Assistive Technology for Every Child. //Montessori Life//, 20(1), 30-35. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Hartley, J. J., Sotto, E. E., & Pennebaker, J. J. (2003). Speaking versus typing: a case–study of the effects of using voice–recognition software on academic correspondence. //British Journal of Educational Technology//, 34(1), 5-16. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Nuance. (2011). //Nuance America's online store//. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from Nuance: [] Stodden, R. A., & Roberts, K. D. (2005). The use of voice recognition software as a compensatory strategy for postsecondary education students receiving services under the category of learning disabled. //Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation//, 22(1), 49-64. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Wenzel, E. (2008). Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 review. In //CNET software reviews//. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from CNET: []

Last edited: 09/25/2011, 11:49am Ryan Wenzel ryancw@yahoo.com