Subtitles and Closed Captions are More than Meets the Eye – Helpful Aids for Educators and Learners

We all know, how subtitles make us feel light by providing the content below. Closed captions and subtitles are basically accessibility services, however, they function beyond expectations and elevate the viewers’ experience. What if, we say, captions and subtitles are helping the students greatly to improve their attention and their educational habits. Yes, it is. Let’s explore more about how these accessibility solutions have come a long way to help students with their learning.

Learning Management Systems(LMS), have an in-built system contributing to get an efficient output from the students. Primarily, focusing on delivering an absolute and complete educational experience. Multiple LMS companies provide customized learning solutions and tools for additional pedagogy-related measurements like Achievements, Motivation, and Assessments. 

LMS Closed Captions are updated with the course video, which helps in various aspects of developing cognition, comprehension, and language learning.

Listening and reading are the primary levels of comprehension that help the learner interpret and get a deeper understanding of the context and the content that is being presented in the video. Humans show a variety of learning styles. Some are auditory learners, while others are visual. Subtitles cater to both these groups. While auditory learners benefit from the spoken content, visual learners can reinforce their understanding by reading the accompanying text. This multimodal approach ensures that the content is more deeply ingrained in the viewer’s memory.

Catering the right solution to provide an inclusive learning opportunity for all learners, who fall under the disability spectrum. For individuals with hearing impairments, closed captions are not just supplementary; they are essential. Captions provide a textual representation of the audio, ensuring that the content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their hearing ability.

For individuals with cognitive disorders, processing auditory information can sometimes be challenging. Subtitles offer an alternative mode of processing, allowing these individuals to follow along at their own pace.

Learners usually engage if the class contains entertaining elements. If the teacher is keen on engaging and motivating the learner, the learner will be eager to learn. Applying the same principle to e-learning, teachers can achieve engagement by using the right tactics during the recording. However, incorporating the interaction elements into the LMS can be tough. 

So, they opt for closed captions to provide extra support to keep the learner hooked. For Non-native Speakers, the closed captions help break down the content into chunks, to understand it better. For other language learners, the respective subtitles help them consume the content. 

For students who speak English as a second language (ESL), understanding content can sometimes be challenging due to unfamiliar vocabulary or fast speech. Subtitles can aid comprehension by allowing these students to read unfamiliar words, pause, and even look them up. This not only helps in understanding the current content but also enhances their overall language skills.

Modern e-learning platforms often incorporate interactive subtitles. These are not just passive textual overlays but clickable entities. Clicking on a word might provide its definition, context, or additional resources. Such interactivity can make learning more engaging and informative.

Subtitles generally support the students to be focused on the content, as an Audio – Visual Medium, the additional reading and the dual processing of information – both auditory and visual – can enhance retention. When students hear and read the content simultaneously, they are more likely to remember it. The more happy they are, the less they try to opt out of the course.

As the control lies with the students, they will be able to download the transcripts and set the pacing of the learning with respect to the subtitles and captions, allowing them to learn and consume the content at their own pace.

There is no room for diversion, as the subtitles/captions supplement the content visually. For the learners, irrespective of their environments, whether it’s noisy or peaceful, the learning will be consistent.

Subtitles and closed captions are not just tools for accessibility, they are powerful educational aids. By catering to diverse learning styles, assisting those with impairments, and providing clarity and flexibility, they ensure that multimedia content is more effective and inclusive.

As educators continue to leverage videos in their teaching methodologies, it’s crucial to recognize the value of subtitling services and closed captioning services in bridging the learning gap for school students. CaptioningStar with more than 17 years of experience in the respective fields, strives to develop rightful solutions to aid educators on all levels.