Instructional Resources for Library Instructors: Live Captioning Workshop

Why is it important to provide captions during live instructions?

Live captioning provides additional accessibility support to engage learners' understanding of the discussion topics during synchronous live and/or in-person instructions. This idea aligned closely with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles - providing multiple representations and means to engage in learning materials. Furthermore, live captioning benefits more than learners who are deaf, hard of hearing, and with other learning disabilities. It also helps English language learners and non-native English speakers with reading comprehension and understanding of the topic. 

Live Captioning Tool:

Automatic live captioning tools use speech recognition technology to transcribe live speech and insert captioning for your audience to read. Many education tools contain free automatic captioning tools and features that are easy to turn on to enhance your student's learning.

Please be aware that not all automatic captioning tools are 100% accurate when transcribing a speaker's words. If you plan to use the caption file produced by the automatic live captioning tools for closed captions, you will want to review the transcript before adding it to your recording. 

(Photo by Monica Flores on Unsplash)

Live captioning your instructions can change your teaching delivery and will take some practice to speak and articulate clearly into the microphone.

Here are some tips to help you integrate the live captioning tool into your instruction: 

1. Determine whether your students need live captioning services or can benefit from live captioning of your instruction.
   • Sometimes, live captioning can be distracting on the screen and disrupt students' learning during your instruction session. To find out whether your students can benefit from live captioning, contact your faculty or survey the students before the session.
      
2.  Understand the size of the classroom and equipment.
   • As you provide instructions inside or outside the library, you may notice learning spaces varied by sizes, seating arrangements, and tools equipped inside the classroom. Always test your live captioning font size and caption display on the Zoom carts or projectors inside the classroom before your instruction session.
   • Do a practice run-through of your instruction using a live captioning tool before your instruction session. This will ensure your live captions are displayed correctly on the screen and that students sitting furthest from the screen can see your live captions.
      
3. Repeat students' questions in the microphone.
   • If a student asks a question in the classroom, you will want to repeat the question, so the question is captioned on the screen.
      
4. Automatic live captioning is not 100% accurate.
   • The automatic transcription tool is still a developing technology and may not produce quality and accurate caption files. If you plan to use the caption file produced from a live captioning tool, you would want to review and revise the caption file before adding it to your recorded instructions. 
      
5. Automatic live captioning multiple speakers or group discussion activities can be challenging.
   • Another limitation of the live captioning tool is transcribing multiple speakers talking at the same time. If you are co-teaching an instruction session with the faculty or another librarian, be sure to take turns speaking so the automatic transcription tool can pick up individual speakers. 
   • Similarly, captioning students' group discussions and learning activities can be challenging. If a student needs additional accessibility assistance to participate in group activities, they can reach out to Disabled Student Program (DSP) to request for accomodation services.