Pre-Training: Dragon Naturally Speaking and the Appropriate Digital Voice Recorder Software

TRAINING SCHEDULE

Pre-training:Dragon Naturally Speaking and the appropriate digital voice recorder software should be installed and properly configured on each individual PC in advance; configure enterprise (roaming) users as appropriate

Week One: Training Module 1: introduction to dictation/Dragon basics [in person training session]

Expectations: ability to dictate basic documents, e-mails and notes; make corrections; and establish comfort level with dictation

Week Two: follow-up support [Webinar / conference call]

Expectations: troubleshoot any technical concerns and respond to user questions; users should continue to expand volume of work dictated regularly

Week Three / Four: Training Module 2: using Dragon with a digital voice recorder [in person training session]

Expectations: ability to use Dragon with a digital voice recorder and accurately transcribe field notes into appropriate reports

Week Five / Six: follow-up support [Webinar / conference call]

Expectations: troubleshoot any technical concerns and respond to user questions; up to 50% of all report-related tasks and e-mail should be completed with dictation

Week Seven: custom commands [Webinar / conference call]

Expectations: automate routine tasks with custom commands; up to 75% of all report-related tasks and e-mail should be completed with dictation

TRAINING AGENDA

Starting to use speech-recognition software is not unlike learning to type AND to use a word-processor: productivity increases as you practice dictating AND learn features. Your training will focus on the basic skills to understand and use Dragon.Note: Though Dragon NaturallySpeaking enables completely hands-free operation of a PC, you can also use your keyboard and mouse if fastest and most convenient for a given task.

We will cover the essential skills needed to incorporate speech into your daily work(see below). We will also point out tips and potential pitfalls. You will practice using Dragon NaturallySpeaking in personal work tasks and receive immediate feedback. As we determine which vocal tasks should be a priority, we will start a wish list of customizations.

LET’S GET UP AND RUNNING

The initial session covers the basics of headset use, user profile enrollment, and microphone control concepts. Command and control allows the user to see how Dragon will respond, and gives them a sampling of commands to control various components of their computer. The skill(s) learned through simple command and control take the user to the last sections of learning to dictate, and use Dragon NaturallySpeaking’s correction mechanisms.

SUBJECT / POINTS TO COVER
Headset / Correct connection, Correct placement.
Enrollment / User Profile Creation Process, ASW, Enrollment
Mic. Control / Set hot key, Sleep/Wake up, Verbal commanding
Dictation I / 5 points of dictation, punctuation, navigation, numbers
Command I / Command and control basics – Applies to all Apps
Correction / Select and Say, Playback, Read that, Spell that

NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE BASICS

Next we coverspecial characters and switching recognition modes for different purposes. The vocabulary section introduces the user to custom words and pronunciations to enhance accuracy. Commands are further enhanced with the introduction of simple macro creation using ‘Text-and-Graphics’ macros. Users also learn how to import and export the user profile, performing a backup, and understanding roaming profile concepts.

SUBJECT / POINTS TO COVER
Vocabulary / Vocabulary Editor, Custom Words, Word Properties
Dictation II / Special Characters, Engine Mode
Command II / Text-n-Graphics Macros
User Profiles / Import/Export, Backup Profile, RoamingProfile Use

BECOMING SELF SUFFICIENT

The AccuracyCenter will be introduced to enable users to continue to grow their User Profile and Accuracy. Commands for additional applications like email, Excel, and web navigation are explored. Help factions are introduced to allow the user to be more self proficient.

SUBJECT / POINTS TO COVER
Accuracy / ACO, Add words from documents, additional training, and audio testing
Applications / Word-processing, e-mail messages, Excel, web-browsing, and non standard text windows
Help / Using the help, what can I say, and knowledge base

DIGITAL RECORDERS – AUTO TRANSCRIPTION

To provide a better understanding of the mobile abilities with Dragon, the use of Digital Recorders will be introduced to the user. The user will be provided a basic understanding of the enrolment process as well as best practices with a Digital Recorder and Third Party correction.

SUBJECT / POINTS TO COVER
Enrolment / Dictation Source, Training Text, and supported audio formats
Recorder
Dictation / Checking audio quality settings, microphone position, and dictation concept
Transcribe / Uploading your audio and transcribing with Dragon
Correction / Setting the proper correction options for Digital Recorders
Third Party Correction / Discuss Third Part correction options

*** Appended is a text entitled "Talking to Your Computer."Thefirst time you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you will read most of this text out loud in order to create your dictation user profile.

ACOUSTIC TRAINING TEXT:“Talking To Your Computer”

We'd like you to read aloud for a few minutes while the computer listens to you and learns how you speak. When you've finished reading, we'll make some adjustments, and then you'll be able to talk to your computer and see the words appear on your screen. In the meantime, we'd like to explain why talking to a computer is not the same as talking to a person and then give you a few tips about how to speak when dictating.

Understanding spoken language is something that people often take for granted. Most of us develop the ability to recognize speech when we're very young. We're already experts at speech recognition by the age of three or so.

When people first start using speech-recognition software, they might be surprised that the computer makes mistakes. Maybe unconsciously we compare the computer to another person. But the computer is not like a person. What the computer does when it listens to speech is different from what a person does.

The first challenge in speech recognition is to identify what is speech and what is just noise. People can filter out noise fairly easily, which lets us talk to each other almost anywhere. We have conversations in busy train stations, across the dance floor, and in crowded restaurants. It would be very dull if we had to sit in a quiet room every time we wanted to talk to each other!

Unlike people, computers need help separating speech sounds from other sounds. When you speak to a computer, you should be in a place without too much noise. Then, you must speak clearly into a microphone that has been placed in the right position. If you do this, the computer will hear you just fine, and not get confused by the other noises around you.

A second challenge is to recognize speech from more than one speaker. People do this very naturally. We have no problem chatting one moment with Aunt Grace, who has a high, thin voice, and the next moment with Cousin Paul, who has a voice like a foghorn. People easily adjust to the unique characteristics of every voice.

Speech-recognition software, on the other hand, works best when the computer has a chance to adjust to each new speaker. The process of teaching the computer to recognize your voice is called "training," and it's what you're doing right now.

The training process takes only a few minutes for most people. If, after you begin using the program, you find that the computer is making more mistakes than you expect, use the tools provided in the AccuracyCenter to improve the recognition accuracy.

Another challenge is how to distinguish between two or more phrases that sound alike. People use common sense and context--knowledge of the topic being talked about--to decide whether a speaker said "ice cream" or "I scream."

Speech-recognition programs don't understand what words mean, so they can't use common sense the way people do. Instead, they keep track of how frequently words occur by themselves and in the context of other words. This information helps the computer choose the most likely word or phrase from among several possibilities.

Finally, people sometimes mumble, slur their words, or leave words out altogether. They assume, usually correctly, that their listeners will be able to fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, computers won't understand mumbled speech or missing words. They only understand what was actually spoken and don't know enough to fill in the gaps by guessing what was meant.

To understand what it means to speak both clearly and naturally, listen to the way newscasters read the news. If you copy this style when you dictate, the program should successfully recognize what you say.

One of the most effective ways to make speech recognition work better is to practice speaking clearly and evenly when you dictate. Try thinking about what you want to say before you start to speak. This will help you speak in longer, more natural phrases.

Speak at your normal pace without slowing down. When another person is having trouble understanding you, speaking more slowly usually helps. It doesn't help, however, to speak at an unnatural pace when you're talking to a computer. This is because the program listens for predictable sound patterns when matching sounds to words. If you speak in syllables, each syllable is likely to be transcribed as a separate word.

With a little practice, you will develop the habit of dictating in a clear, steady voice, and the computer will understand you better.

When you read this training text, the program adapts to the pitch and volume of your voice. For this reason, when you dictate, you should continue to speak at the pitch and volume you are speaking with right now. If you shout or whisper when you dictate, the program won't understand you as well.

And last but not least, avoid saying extra words you really don't want in your document, like "you know." The computer has no way of knowing which words you say are important, so it simply transcribes everything you say.

DRAGON SKILLS CHECKLIST

TOPIC /  SKILLS
Microphone /  Connect and place it properly (facing corner of mouth, comfortable, stable)
 Turn microphone off when not dictating: use hot key (+), ‘stop listening’
Acoustics /  Choose your first or additional Dictation Source
 Read additional Training text from AccuracyCenter; train single words if needed
 Check Audio Settings if your hardware or environment changes
Dictation
and
Navigation /  Enunciate clearly but naturally. Stay silent if hesitating. Aim for full phrases.
 Say punctuation and symbols: open paren, close quote,hyphen, section sign…
 Pause before and after commands, not in their middle.
 ‘New Paragraph’ (skips a line), ‘New Line’ (carriage return)
 ‘Scratch that’, ‘Scratch thatntimes’, ‘Undo that’
 ‘Spell <characters>’
Numbers, dates, Roman numerals, percentages units, ‘numeral one’… See auto-formatting(DragonBar’s Tools menu) & Word Properties (Vocabulary Editor).
‘Cap <word>’,‘ALL CAPS <word>’
 ‘Go to bottom’, ‘Go to end of line’,’Move left n words’, ‘Move up n lines’
 ‘Insert before | after XYZ’
Correcting
a Misrecognition /  ‘Correct XYZ’ (the wrong word(s) on the screen)
If already highlighted or just spoken: ‘Correct That’ (also: hotkey, DragonBar)
 Use Play back to ensure precision  Double-click to correct words
Editing
and Formatting /  ‘Delete line’, ‘Backspace n’, ‘Delete lastn words’
 Highlight text: ‘Select line’, ‘Select XYZ’, ’Select x through y’, ‘Select again’
Replace text (select by voice or hand, then overwrite)
 ‘Xthat’commands: ‘Select | Delete | Copy | Bold | Paste that’
 Direct commands: ‘Delete | Copy | Cut XYZ’, ‘Underline | Bold | Italicize XYZ’
Personalizing the Vocabulary
(for accuracy and ease) /  OpenAccuracyCenter: access tools to optimize the accuracy.
 Open Vocabulary Editor to add, modify, or delete entries
 Create Spoken Forms(ex: CSAC\C. sack, Hseuh-tze\shoe tsee)
 Import wordlists (plain .txt files, backslash for spoken forms)
 Adapt the Vocabulary from relevant documents; Increase Accuracy From E-mail
Browsing /
Editing Commands
Direct Commands for Search & Email (MS Outlook) /  ‘Show Sample Commands’
 ‘Add new command’. Boilerplate (Text & Graphics), Step-by-Step sequences
 Modify orclone commands: Edit or New Copy (Script tab of the Command Browser)
 Import custom commands (Manage tab of the Command Browser)
 ‘Search the Web| images| Google| Wikipedia forXYZ’
 ‘Search computer | files| e-mail forXYZ’
 ‘Compose e-mail to <contact name(s)>’. ‘Compose e-mail aboutXYZ’
 ‘Schedule appointment with <contact name(s)>’

POST - TRAINING SURVEY

Name and e-mail address:Function or Group:

Location:

Date of Dragon training:

Current Dragon Usage

1. How much time do you estimate using Dragon NaturallySpeaking since your training session? (Note to any times when you were not using your computer at all because of travel, vacation, equipment or administrative issues, etc.)

1. On a "typical" day, how do you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking? (e.g., "in all my XYZ reports," "when writing short e-mails," "whenever in Microsoft Word," "in most of my web activities," etc.)

1. When using Dragon NaturallySpeaking, what actions do you still perform by hand?

1. Do you typically launch the software at the beginning of your workday?

1. If recognition errors occur, do you typically correct them, or just fix the text by typing?

1. Have you used the following (if not, please indicate why: no time, I'm sure how, didn't see the need...):
2. Resources: tutorial, exercises in the workbook, reference card, personal cheat sheets...
3. Read aloud additional training texts from the AccuracyCenter
4. Customize the vocabulary, adding into Dragon all of the terms, acronyms etc. that you use in your job
5. Create spoken forms for vocabulary items that are not pronounced as written
6. Create (or import) dictation shortcuts
7. Change settings in the Options dialog

With 1 = Inadequate and 3 = Excellent, rate the following -- feel free to add comments:

Ease-of-use
Out-of-the-box accuracy
Improvement in accuracy over time and with practice
Ease of learning on own
Vocabulary relevant to your job

With 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree, rate the following

Dragon NaturallySpeaking currently saves me time in my work.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking improved my comfort level (reduced eyestrain, reduced musculoskeletal pain...)
I became better at using Dragon NaturallySpeaking overtime.
I will continue to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking in my work.

Future Use of Dragon

Based on your current experience with Dragon, how interested are you in the following areas:

Interested / Neutral / No Interest
Use more dictation shortcuts (to enter boilerplate text and graphics)
Use voice for actions you currently do by hand
Use voice to automatically open frequently used documents or folders
Use voice to automatically open frequently used websites
Use Dragon NaturallySpeaking for e-mail (creating and managing messages)

Training Experience

1. Do you feel that you received adequate training?

Yes / No

1. Do you feel that you had adequate material (tutorials, documentation, etc.) to help you learn how to use the software?

Yes / No

1. Were you able to get answers to any questions you may have had, either through your coordinator or trainer, or through follow-up conference calls and e-mails?

Yes / No

1. What kind of training would you recommend for others whose work situation is similar to yours?