Education is an exciting process full of possibilities. In recent years, it has become more dynamic, changing to fit the needs of our contemporary world. Schools and universities across the globe are implementing necessary changes to keep up with the times.
In the world of education, educators are at the forefront, helping to make their classrooms more inclusive for all students. When it comes to adapting to today’s societal patterns, there are valid pros and cons for both keeping the old status quo and changing with the times.
But instead of getting into a debate over right or wrong, let’s explore a science-backed fact: if you’re in education, you should be using captions for all your video and training materials.
What Are the Benefits of Captioning in Educational Organizations?
The benefits of creating quality captions are far-reaching. Not only do they help educators reach more students, but learning is also improved overall.
1. Live Captions Can Provide Accommodations for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Students
In the United States, it’s estimated that 6.5 million children under the age of 18 have some form of hearing loss. That’s one child in every 500. World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. Therefore, live captioning can ensure that all students, regardless of their hearing abilities, have access to the same educational opportunities and information.
2. Captions Can Improve Cognitive Processing and Memory Recall
In one study, it was shown that captioning can help improve cognitive processing. The study found that viewers who watched videos with captions were able to recall 56% more information than those who watched the same videos without captions.
3. Captions Can Help with Language Acquisition
For non-native English speakers, captions can be extremely helpful. By reading along with the spoken word, these students can better understand the material and improve their language skills.
4. Captions Can Provide a Needed Distraction-reduction Tool
In some classrooms, visual and auditory distractions are inevitable. However, research has shown that captions can help reduce these types of distractions. One study found that when students watched videos with captions, they were less likely to be distracted by their surroundings.
5. Captions Can Aid in Comprehension for All Learners
Captions are not just helpful for those with hearing impairments or language acquisition issues; they can also be beneficial for all learners. In general, captions can improve comprehension for all viewers by providing a written representation of the spoken word. This is especially helpful for those who have difficulty processing information orally.
6. Captions Can Improve Reading Skills
In addition to helping with comprehension, captions can also be beneficial for developing reading skills. When students read along with captions, they are essentially receiving double the amount of reading practice. This can be extremely helpful for struggling readers or those who are working to improve their reading fluency.
7. Captions Can Promote Inclusion and Equity in Education
Inclusive classrooms are important for all students, and captioning can help promote inclusion and equity in education. By providing accessibility for all learners, captions can help create a level playing field in the classroom. This is especially important for students with disabilities who might otherwise be left out or behind in their education.
8. Captions Can Encourage Active Viewing
In order to learn effectively, it’s important that students are engaged with the material they’re watching. Captions can help encourage active viewing by providing a written representation of the spoken word. This way, viewers are more likely to pay attention to the video and process the information effectively.
9. Captions Can Be Used as a Scaffolding Tool
Scaffolding is a teaching method that involves breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. Captions can be used as a scaffolding tool by providing a written representation of the spoken word. This can help struggling learners or those with processing disorders to better understand and retain information.
10. Live Captions Can Provide Real-time Feedback
In some cases, live captions can provide real-time feedback for viewers. This is especially helpful for those who are working on their pronunciation or trying to improve their language skills. Live captions can also be beneficial for those with hearing impairments, as they can provide immediate access to the spoken word.
11. Captions can help children with autism develop communication skills
Children with autism often have difficulty communicating. However, technology can help children with autism develop communication skills by providing a written representation of the spoken word using captions. This way, children with autism can follow along with the conversation and better understand what is being said.
Conclusion
Captions can be extremely beneficial for students in the classroom. By providing a written representation of the spoken word, captions can help improve comprehension, promote inclusion and equity, encourage active viewing, provide real-time feedback, and much more.
