The Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI) is rolling out captioning technologies to support deaf and hard of hearing students to have full access to their curriculum and support materials.
The technologies include CaptionConnect classroom speech-to-text software and media closed caption services available through the VDEI Caption Centre.
Use the information below to understand how the technologies can work in the classroom and to express your interest in using them.
Automatic captioning software
CaptionConnect captures a teacher's voice through a microphone and converts the speech to text in real time, to support deaf and hard of hearing students' access to learning. The text is displayed on a student's device or screen at the front of the class.
After a class, teachers can listen to the captioning software audio and review the automated transcript, which can be edited and published to use as a study resource. Individual student voices are not captured, captioned or transcribed by the software during lessons.
Swifts Creek P to 12 School used the captioning software to support 2020 dux Caroline Firus in her Victorian Certificate of Education studies.
'It was a simple way for Caroline to have on a screen what's being said in real time to support her to be most successful,' principal Robert Boucher said.
This video showcases how the VDEI supported Caroline's access to education.
To learn more about CaptionConnect and apply to use this technology at your school, complete the expression of interest form on the VDEI website.
VDEI Caption Centre
The VDEI Caption Centre supports schools in captioning their educational media resources.
The fully subsidised service is available to all government, Catholic and independent Victorian primary and secondary schools.
The VDEI Caption Centre also captions VDEI's professional learning catalogue, which has upskilled more than 15,000 educators.
Captioning is available for:
- ClickView media (exchange content section)
- YouTube clips
- Victorian Virtual Learning Network Captivate Lessons
- film
- educational videos
- TV broadcasts
- teacher- and student-produced media.
All captioned media is returned by email as downloadable MP4 files.
To apply to use the VDEI Caption Centre services, complete the captioning request form.
Find out more
For more information, refer to Victorian Deaf Education Institute.
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