Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
Captions are on‑screen text synchronized with video that conveys spoken dialogue and other meaningful audio (speaker names, sound effects, and music cues). High‑quality captions make instructional media accessible and usable for all learners across classrooms, devices, bandwidth, and learning contexts.
Why Captions Matter in K–12
Why Captions Matter in K–12
Captions are essential for community members and students who are deaf or hard of hearing and also support multilingual learners, students with auditory processing needs, and anyone learning in a noisy or quiet‑required setting. In schools, providing captions on videos used for instruction helps ensure equitable access and aligns with federal accessibility obligations (e.g., ADA/Section 504) that districts follow.
See the Parent Portal Training Videos page of the WPS website for an example of a YouTube video with captions.
Quick Principles for Success
Quick Principles for Success
Five Key Concepts to Consider When Creating Captions
Five Key Concepts to Consider When Creating Captions
Cover all meaningful audio: Include who is speaking and relevant sounds (e.g., [bell rings], [applause]).
Be accurate and complete: Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation improve comprehension.
Keep timing in sync: Captions should appear and disappear with the audio; avoid long delays or bunching.
Use readable chunks: Break lines at natural pauses/punctuation; keep line length comfortable.
Always review auto‑captions: Edit machine‑generated captions for accuracy, timing, names, and subject‑specific vocabulary.
Adding Captions in K–12 Tools (Quick Reference)
Adding Captions in K–12 Tools (Quick Reference)
YouTube: In Studio, open Subtitles, add or upload a caption file (SRT/VTT), or edit auto‑captions.
Canva: Automatically generate subtitles/captions and tweak as needed.
Canvas (Studio / RCE videos): Upload or request auto‑captions, then review and correct; you can also upload an SRT/VTT file.
Google Meet: Enable live captions during meetings; note that live captions typically aren’t saved in recordings unless your workflow captures them separately.
Google Slides: When presenting, turn on Captions (CC) from the toolbar (or press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+C) to display live captions; choose language and placement in Slideshow settings. Note: Slides’ live captions are not saved—record the session or pair with Meet/Zoom if you need a saved transcript.
Related Resources for Deeper Learning
Related Resources for Deeper Learning
Captions / Subtitles — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
This WAI resource explains when captions are needed, how they differ from subtitles, and what considerations go into designing, authoring, and delivering them—especially in web media.
Captioning Key — Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP)
The DCMP’s Captioning Key offers comprehensive guidelines and examples specifically tailored for captioning educational media. It covers synchronization, speaker identification, caption formatting, presentation rate, and how to preserve meaning in edit-friendly ways.
This page adapts and builds on content from the Nebraska ESU Coordinating Council's Accessibility in Schools site and related resources, and is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.
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