Using Panopto: Closed Captions

Closed Captions

Captions are automatically applied to all content recorded or uploaded into Panopto. While very accurate, they may still need minor adjustments to meet the 99.9% accuracy required for ADA compliance. Be sure to check for things such as:

  • Proper names
  • Acronyms - particularly if they are spoken as a word
  • Discipline Specific Terms - particularly if they are complex or not pronounced phonetically

We recommend that you always review the captions for accuracy after completion. 

In Panopto, you can edit captions once they are complete. Panopto will highlight captions that it has a lower confidence in, and also allow you to find and replace words that are frequently incorrect. Learn more here:

How to Edit or Delete Captions - Panopto Support

 

Machine vs. Human Captions

There is a limited pool of human captioning made available to Xavier each year as part of our contract, so as an institution it is important to consider the necessity and impact that captions will have rather than to simply caption all content. Before requesting human captions, we ask that you consider the following:

  • What student needs currently exist: We recommend creating accessible materials in all instances because it can benefit students with a variety of learning styles and needs. However, students with specific, disclosed needs may still take priority.
  • How long this content will be used: Content that is "evergreen" and is used for longer than a single semester will benefit most from being captioned. We do not recommend requesting human captions for "disposable" content such as announcements, individual student feedback, or topical content that you frequently update unless there is a need for accommodation from a currently enrolled student.
  • How many students, faculty, and staff will this content impact: While the reach may not impact your desire to caption content, it can play a role in approving captions on longer content or atypical requests. The more people who will be accessing the content, the more important it is to be accessible.
  • Will this content be available outside the Xavier community: In cases where the public has access to your content it is required to be fully ADA compliant, including captions.

 

When to Edit Captions

Make sure you only request or edit captions after your content is complete - including editing your recorded video! Any edits made after you request or edit your captions may cause the text to be out of sync with your voice and visuals.

 

Requesting Human Captions

If you have a learner with a disclosed ADA need for closed captions it may be necessary to leverage human closed captioning in some circumstances. Watch this demonstration video from Xavier's Digital Media Lab to see how you can request human captioning assistance, as well as reviewing other closed captioning details on your videos.

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