Learning Center

The Closed Captioning Process

Reviews the transcript, formatting, time coding, checking and revision, and encoding steps

The Telecommunications Act Of 1996

Basic information and provisions of the 1996 law requiring, among other specifics, closed captioning of television programs. Presented on five pages.

Viewer Reaction To Different Captioned Television Speeds

A study performed by the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. (IDRT), June 1997. Reprinted with permission. This paper includes graphs and charts relating to an experiment studying different captioning speeds. The test subjects included deaf and hard of hearing people as well as hearing people.

The Hearing Impaired Learner with Special Needs

Written by Robert E. Stepp, Jr. for the Symposium on Research and Utilization of Educational Media for Teaching the Deaf, held on March 31 and April 1-2, 1981, at the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education in Lincoln. This paper applauds the formation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) which stipulates that special education and related services be specifically designed to meet the unique educational needs of a student with a disability. Suggests that variations on teaching methods should be incorporated into classroom instruction and that an assortment of teaching tools should be accessible to the teacher in accordance with a student's learning ability and level of interest. Three subtopics are areas of concern because of their implications to the education of the hearing impaired: (1) giftedness, (2) developmental disabilities, and (3) deaf-blindness. Also includes a list of symposium presenters.

An Overview of Progress in Utilization of Educational Technology for Educating the Hearing Impaired

Written by George Propp, teacher at the Nebraska School for the Deaf, for the 1978 Symposium on Research and Utilization of Educational Media for Teaching the Deaf. This article traces the inception and growth of the Captioned Films for the Deaf, as well as the evolution of technology in regards to captioning and how it relates to educational media. Mr. Propp states that the current concept for deaf education "will require a massive application of the resources that exist, as well as the development of technology that lies beyond our present dreams."

From Sound to Subtitles

In 1977 between 21,000 and 24,000 instructional films were available in the United States for loan or purchase from film distributors. Of these films, approximately 2,000 were nonverbal and could, therefore, be viewed in their original form by deaf persons. Another 885 educational films had been captioned. Overviews the activity of the Captioned Films for the Deaf program to close that gap. Prepared by the Special Office for Materials Distribution, Indiana University, Audio-Visual Center, Bloomington, Indiana (1977).

School Library Services for Deaf Children: Audio Visual Material

Written by Patricia Blair Cory, Librarian and Visual Education Director at the Lexington School for the Deaf, and published in 1960 by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Inc., this article concentrates on the responsibilities of librarians in regards to various educational media provided to deaf children. She states that librarians should familiarize themselves with the films in their collection and be prepared to evaluate each title for things such as clear identification of subject matter, age appropriateness, and whether or not the film depends too heavily on a soundtrack. The latter is an important topic in her paper, because at this time educational films were not captioned, and students had to depend on lipreading what the characters said, or have the material pretaught or preread before the showing. She urges librarians to use films that rely on visual cues to tell the story or explain the subject matter.

Media Development Project for the Hearing Impaired: Project Update

A report written in 1981 by Dr. George Propp and Dr. Virginia Berman. Clarifies that the mission of the Media Development Project for the Hearing Impaired (MDPHI) (now defunct) at the University of Nebraska was to be involved in the adaptation and development of instructional materials for hearing-impaired students in the areas of concept development and decision-making skills. This paper covers the steps involved in finding and developing appropriate materials, including search and locate, design and production, and evaluation. Charts are interspersed throughout the article.

ERIC Digests and Database Reports on Captioning Research Results (Nine Reports)

Included are nine ERIC reports: (1) "Closed-Captioned Prompt Rates: Their Influence on Reading Outcomes.," (2) "Closed Captioned TV: A Resource for ESL Literacy Education.," (3) "Closed Captioned Television for Adult LEP Literacy Learners.," (4) "ESL Literacy for a Linguistic Minority: The Deaf Experience.," (5) "Literacy Instruction Through Communicative and Visual Arts.," (6) "ESL Instruction for Learning Disabled Adults.," (7) "Using the Technology of Closed-Captioned Television to Teach Reading to Handicapped Students: Performance Reports," (8) "Using Captioned TV for Teaching Reading: FASTBACK 359," and (9) "The Effectiveness of Television Captioning on Comprehension and Preference."

An Introduction to the 1978 Symposium on Research and Utilization of Educational Media for Teaching the Deaf

Dr. Robert E. Stepp, Jr. is a pioneer in usage of educational media in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students. In this paper, Dr. Stepp touches upon the support of the government of four Regional Media Centers for the Deaf, Project LIFE (Language Improvement to Facilitate Education), the construction of the PAL (Programmed Assistance in Learning) machine, three Specialized Offices for the Blind, Deaf, and Other Handicapping Conditions, and the captioning of "The ABC Evening News." He points out that educational goals for the "acoustically handicapped is to be independent as an adult" and that independence in learning can be achieved through use of educational media.

Grassroots Advocacy for Captioning

Maryann Fau Barnett overviews the path that led to captioning as we know it today.

"Reelizing" the Full Potential of Captioning Educational Films for the Deaf Through Lesson Guide Utilization

Written by Lester Graham, B.A., M.S., and Garry J. Loysen, M.S., in the early eighties, this paper affirms that while films have been and will continue to be the most visible and sought after facet of the Captioned Films for the Deaf program, another facet of the program is of equal importance: the lesson guides. Notes that the purpose of each lesson guide is to give the user insight into the message, content, purposes, and applications of each film in the collection. Reviews the origination of these lesson guides and suggests how media specialists can promote their use.

Video Description and the Digital Television Transition

This document provides an overview of how the digital television transition will affect description as of February 2009. Written and published by the FCC.

Audio Description: Research Into Awareness Levels

An Examination of Twenty Literacy, Science, and Mathematics Practices Used to Educate Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The results of a multistep process to begin identifying best practices in deaf education are presented. To identify current practices, a survey was conducted of the literature, the Web sites of professional organizations, and states' education Web sites, which yielded a number of commonly discussed practices. Ten of the more highly cited practices in literacy instruction and 10 of the more highly cited practices in science and mathematics instruction were identified for additional scrutiny. Hundreds of articles were examined to identify research support for the 20 identified practices. Some practices had adequate research support; others had minimal support. The authors identify each of the 20 practices, describe the practice, present a summary of the literature that was examined, and rate the usefulness of the knowledge base relative to a "best practice" designation.