I’m raising an accessibility and usability issue with speech‑to‑text in SpeedGrader, specifically when adding feedback to assignment comment boxes.
Speech‑to‑text is commonly used as a reasonable adjustment by staff with RSI, motor impairments, fatigue, or pain conditions. At the moment, its behaviour in SpeedGrader creates barriers and a real risk of lost feedback.
Issue 1: No voice command support for submitting or confirming text
When using speech‑to‑text in a SpeedGrader comment box:
- Common commands such as “enter”, “new line”, or “submit” are not recognised
- Users must switch to keyboard or mouse to finalise or submit feedback
This breaks hands‑free workflows and undermines the accessibility benefit of speech‑to‑text, particularly for staff who rely on voice input to avoid strain or pain.
Issue 2: Existing feedback is overwritten when dictation is used again
If speech‑to‑text is used more than once in the same comment box:
- The newly dictated text overwrites the existing feedback
- This can result in accidental loss of earlier comments
- Users reasonably expect dictated text to append to existing content, not replace it
This makes iterative or reflective feedback risky and increases anxiety during marking, especially for longer grading sessions.
Why this matters (accessibility and workflow)
- Speech‑to‑text is a key accessibility tool for disabled staff
- Overwriting content or forcing keyboard use creates unnecessary barriers
- The current behaviour discourages use of voice input altogether
- There is also a risk of unintentionally submitting incomplete or lost feedback to students
Suggested improvements
- Support basic voice commands such as “enter”, “new line”, or “submit”
- Ensure speech‑to‑text adds to existing text by default, rather than overwriting it
- Provide clear guidance on how speech‑to‑text behaves in SpeedGrader comment fields
