What is it?
Live captioning and speech-to-text transcription convert spoken language into written text as it is being said. Captions may be generated automatically by software or provided by a trained human captioner, depending on the setting and level of accuracy required. Built-in and web-based captioning features are available in many devices, presentation tools, videoconferencing platforms, and accessibility applications.
How to use it?
Display live captions where learners can easily see them during instruction, presentations, videos, meetings, and discussions. Use a quality microphone and reduce background noise to improve automated transcription accuracy. When available, identify speakers and provide access to specialized vocabulary or names that may be difficult for a captioning system to recognize. Review whether automated captions provide sufficient access for the individual and use professional captioning or other accommodations when greater accuracy is required.
Why use it?
Spoken information is temporary and can be missed because of hearing differences, background noise, language processing, attention, unfamiliar vocabulary, or other factors. Live captions provide a visual representation of speech that learners can reference while listening or instead of relying on auditory information alone. They can increase access to instruction, conversation, and multimedia while supporting participation for a wide range of learners.
