Captions & Transcripts
Making audio and video content accessible
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Video Captions & Audio Transcripts
Captions and transcripts make audio and video content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users, and benefit all learners in various situations.
Why Captions & Transcripts Matter:
- Essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing students
- Help students learning English as a second language
- Support learning in noisy or quiet environments
- Required for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance
Video Captions
Required for:
- • All video content with spoken audio
- • Lecture recordings and presentations
- • Tutorial and demonstration videos
- • Video announcements
- • Live streaming events
Goal: 99% accuracy with proper timing, speaker identification, and sound effects noted.
Audio Transcripts
Required for:
- • Podcasts and audio recordings
- • Audio-only announcements
- • Voice notes and feedback
- • Music or sound-based content
- • Audio interviews
Tip: Provide transcripts as downloadable files (PDF, Word) or embedded text.
Microsoft Office: Video & Audio Accessibility
While Office applications don't create captions directly, you can prepare content for captioning and include accessible media in your documents.
PowerPoint Presentations
Adding Video with Captions
- 1.Go to Insert → Video → Online Video or This Device
- 2.Choose videos that already have captions when possible
- 3.For YouTube videos, ensure captions are enabled
- 4.Include transcript text in slide notes or as a separate slide
Creating Transcript Slides
- 1.Add a slide titled "Video Transcript" after your video slide
- 2.Include speaker names and timestamps when helpful
- 3.Note important visual information and sound effects
- 4.Use slide notes for longer transcripts
PowerPoint Recording Features
- 1.Use Record Slide Show to create narrated presentations
- 2.Export recorded presentations to video format
- 3.Upload to Canvas Studio or YouTube for automatic captioning
- 4.Always review and edit auto-generated captions
Word Documents
Including Transcripts in Documents
- • Create dedicated transcript sections with clear headings
- • Use paragraph styles for consistent formatting
- • Include timestamps for longer audio content
- • Save as accessible PDF with proper document structure
Office Limitations & Solutions
Limitations
- • No built-in captioning tools
- • Limited audio/video accessibility features
- • Must rely on external services for captions
Solutions
- • Use Canvas Studio for video hosting
- • Upload to YouTube for free auto-captions
- • Include transcript text in documents
Canvas LMS: Video Captions & Transcripts
Canvas provides excellent tools for adding captions to videos through Canvas Studio integration and supports various methods for making audio content accessible.
Canvas Studio (Recommended)
Uploading Videos to Canvas Studio
- 1.Click "Record/Upload Media" in any Rich Content Editor
- 2.Select "Upload/Record" and choose your video file
- 3.Canvas Studio automatically generates captions
- 4.Captions typically appear within 10-30 minutes
- 5.Videos embed with captions automatically enabled
Editing Auto-Generated Captions
- 1.Go to your Canvas Studio library
- 2.Find your video and click "Edit"
- 3.Select "Captions" from the editing options
- 4.Review and correct any errors in the transcript
- 5.Add speaker identification and sound effect notes
- 6.Save changes - updates appear immediately in embedded videos
Uploading Custom Caption Files
- 1.Create captions in SRT, VTT, or SBV format
- 2.In Canvas Studio, go to video editing
- 3.Click "Captions" → "Upload Caption File"
- 4.Select your caption file and specify the language
- 5.Professional captions override auto-generated ones
Alternative Methods
YouTube Integration
- 1.Upload video to YouTube with auto-captions
- 2.Edit captions in YouTube Studio
- 3.Embed in Canvas using video URL
- 4.Captions appear automatically
Transcript Documents
- 1.Create transcript as Canvas Page
- 2.Upload as downloadable PDF/Word file
- 3.Include in video description
- 4.Link directly below video content
Canvas Studio Advantages
Automatic Features
- • Free automatic captioning
- • Built-in Canvas integration
- • No external accounts needed
- • FERPA-compliant hosting
Advanced Options
- • Multiple language support
- • Custom caption file uploads
- • Analytics and viewing data
- • Interactive transcript features
Captioning & Transcript Best Practices
High-quality captions and transcripts require attention to accuracy, timing, and meaningful content representation.
Caption Quality Standards
Accuracy Requirements
- 99% accuracy for spoken words
- Correct spelling of technical terms
- Proper punctuation and capitalization
- Speaker identification when multiple speakers
Timing & Synchronization
- Captions appear within 1 second of speech
- Maximum 3 lines of text at once
- Stay on screen long enough to read
- Break at natural speech pauses
Content to Include
Always Include
- • All spoken dialogue and narration
- • Speaker names: [Dr. Smith] or >> Dr. Smith:
- • Important sound effects: [applause], [music]
- • Meaningful sounds: [door closes], [phone rings]
- • Non-speech vocalizations: [sighs], [laughs]
Visual Information to Describe
- • Important actions or demonstrations being shown
- • Text that appears on screen (if not read aloud)
- • Charts, graphs, or visual aids referenced
- • Key visual elements that support the content
Avoid Over-Describing
- • Don't describe every visual detail
- • Focus on educationally relevant information
- • Don't interrupt the flow of spoken content
- • Use separate audio description for complex visuals
Common Auto-Caption Errors to Fix
Typical Problems
Technical terms: "accessibility" → "access ability"
Names: "Dr. Johnson" → "doctor johnson"
Punctuation: Missing periods, commas
Homophones: "there" vs "their"
Review Checklist
- All proper nouns capitalized
- Course-specific terminology correct
- Complete sentences with punctuation
- Sound effects and speaker IDs added
Quality Assurance Tip
Always watch your video with captions enabled to check timing and accuracy. Better yet, have a colleague review captions for a fresh perspective.
Remember: Auto-generated captions are typically 70-80% accurate. They're a great starting point, but manual review and editing are essential for meeting accessibility standards.