Vocational education and training engaging with emerging technology: the Liberated Learning Project consortium

This chapter describes an innovative use of speech recognition technology which has assisted students with special needs at Central TAFE in Perth, Western Australia during 2002–2003. The technology and its application to the teaching and learning context is part of the Liberated Learning Project which uses speech recognition technology to assist students with disabilities and students from non-English speaking backgrounds in tertiary lecturing contexts. The chapter first describes the Liberated Learning concept and the originof the Liberated Learning Project. This project is part of a global consortium which is applying speech recognition technology in learning and teaching environments around the world. It then examines how the speech recognition technology is applied in the learning and teaching context to assist students with special needs, those with disabilities and those from non-English speaking backgrounds in Central TAFE lecturing contexts. It is hoped that, in Central TAFE, this technology will be a stepping stone to enable all students to have equal opportunity and access to pursue their educational aspirations.

The teaching/learning framework within which the technology works to assist students is discussed, and both traditional uses, in terms of content delivery, and more recent approaches, which place greater emphasis on learning outcomes and problem-solving skills, are examined. Finally, the chapter makes recommendations and argues for a re-envisioning of the use of technology, not just as a tool of delivery, but also as part of an approach which provides the lecturer and students with the resources to extend their own knowledge and skill frameworks.