VoiceThread Captioning

Owned by Vincent Nguyen
Last updated: Apr 04, 2024 by Jordan Vinikoor
4 min read

This article details how closed captioning works in VoiceThread.

Overview

  • As part of UConn’s VoiceThread license, machine-generated closed captions are automatically created for audio/video comments.

  • To view captions, users need to enable them.

  • Instructors can add or edit captions.

  • Instructors can request captions in different languages.

Enabling Closed Captions

  1. To turn captions on/off, click CC in the top right corner of the VoiceThread player.

  2. If captions are available, select the caption language.

  3. Captions will appear across the bottom of the player interface.

Image showing where captions can be selected and captions displayed across the bottom.

 

Requesting/Adding Captions

Instructors can request or add captions to their VoiceThreads for better accessibility to students.

Contributors cannot make changes to the VoiceThread so only the owner/creator of the VoiceThread will be able to select Edit captions.

  1. For an instructor or faculty to request captions, navigate to the VoiceThread and select CC towards the top right and select Add Captions.

image-20240401-134643.png
The view before captions have been setup

Uploading Captions:

To request captions, continue to step two. Otherwise, to upload caption files select Upload Captions. You will have to select it from your operating systems' files. VoiceThread only accepts caption files in these formats: DFXP, SRT, SAMI, SCC, and SBV. When finished make sure to click OK.

 

Requesting Captions:

  1. Select the Language from the dropdown box.

  2. Select Order.

  3. Click on OK to close out and save.

 

  1. The captions will take about four days to arrive and will notify the requestee by email.

Downloading Captions

Instructors can download the caption files of their VoiceThread to add to another video format such as Kaltura.

Downloaded caption files export as a .dfxp file which is generally accepted by YouTube and Kaltura

  1. Begin by navigating to your VoiceThread and selecting CC.

  2. Select Edit/Download captions.

  1. Click on Download and the .dxfp caption files will appear in your computer’s downloads folder.

Editing/Removing Captions

Captions can be removed or edited using VoiceThread’s built-in caption editor which allows for enhanced accuracy on closed captioning. Caption editing is not the same as creating captions for a VoiceThread, it only allows you to change previous captions.

  1. Begin by navigating to your VoiceThread and selecting CC.

  2. Select Edit/Download captions.

  1. Under Manage Captions:

    1. Select Edit Captions if you would like to utilize VoiceThread’s built-in closed caption editor.

    2. Select Remove if you would like to remove captions from the VoiceThread. Then select Remove again to confirm.

  2. In the built-in caption editor, you are able to view the time stamps where there are supposed to be captions and change what it says by rewriting the textbox.

VoiceThread’s closed captioning editor does not allow you to make new time stamps. You are only allowed to edit the time stamps that exist from either requested captions or uploaded captions.

  1. Once finished editing, click Save Captions to finalize changes. Then you can click on the X in the top right to exit.