Roberts, K. D., & Stodden, R. A. (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 , 49–64. https://www.iospress.nl/journal/journal-of-vocational-rehabilitation/

The ongoing use of voice recognition software (VRS), the influence VRS has on writing performance, and factors that impact both ongoing use and writing performance were examined in this study.

A total of 15 postsecondary students with learning disabilities participated in this study. Participants were recruited from three institutions in Hawaii (U.S.): a 2-year college, a 2-year college with a 4-year college preparation program, and a 4-year university.

Researchers investigated whether students with learning disabilities who received training on VRS would continue to use the software to complete their postsecondary academic coursework. They also examined whether ongoing use of VRS improves written performance of students with learning disabilities. Focus groups, individual interviews, records review, field notes, and surveys were the qualitative methods included in this study. Fry's Readability Graph, a quantitative tool, was also used.

Findings revealed that ongoing use of VRS and written performance improvement depended on individual student need. This report discusses the themes and associated variables that impacted each participant's decision to attempt to use VRS, to not use VRS, to continue using VRS, as well as their individual performances using the software. Key variables that influenced ongoing use of VRS include time, ease of acquisition of skills necessary to use VRS, personal issues, use of Standard English, student disability, and the use of other effective strategies.