Effect of Word Prediction

Word prediction is often recommended by therapists as a means to improve typing speed for clients with physical limitations. While literature suggests that word prediction does have an effect on writing proficiency, increased speed is not one of it's benefits when used with a standard keyboard. One reason given for the failure of word prediction to accelerate typing is that the user must look away from any source document to scan the prediction list during typing. Looking away from the source document may slow the typist more than any acceleration offered by word prediction. For input methods that already require the typist to look away from the copy, this effect might be irrelevant. The focus of this research was to determine whether word completion or word Assistive Technology Research Institute ● ATRI Home