5 Reasons to Transcribe Lectures
Reportedly, 46% of college students took classes exclusively online in the Fall 2020 semester, with online courses being more popular with undergraduate students. In fact, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online, versus 71% of graduate students.
Higher education had to take a hard left turn with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered the ability to access traditional classrooms. Fully online colleges became increasingly popular, with 422 being in operation in the year 2020, catering to individuals who wanted a post-secondary education but could not attend in-person classes.
With more students and faculty members turning to online education, there has also been an increased use of online platforms such as Blackboard, Canvas, and more that host online course content. Professors are using technology more often to hold their office hours, hold virtual class meetings, and find new course materials.
One of the most popular uses of online content is posting video lectures.
Video lectures are a simple tool that allows faculty to record themselves lecturing on topics they want to teach their students while providing students with the opportunity to re-watch the lecture, pause it, and interact with it in the ways that feel most comfortable for them.
However, video lectures are only one learning tool. Transcribing lectures is an important step that can help facilitate better learning.
Here are 5 reasons why transcribing lectures can be beneficial for students:
Greater Accessibility
Potentially the most important reason to consider transcribing lectures is that it assists students that are hard of hearing. Not all students are hearing students, which can make it difficult for them to fully understand lectures. This is especially true if lectures are only audio recordings and do not include video.
It is also important to cater to multi-sensory learning strategies, so including video and audio in lectures, as many students learn by responding to multiple stimuli in learning and need all of them to be on point to get the full scope of the information.
Ensure Clarity
If the area you are recording in is not completely silent, your microphone can pick up the background noise. Or, perhaps, a loud ambulance rolls by your road while you are recording, making what you were saying inaudible. Adding transcriptions online is an easy way to ensure clarity despite minor background noise.
A lecture’s transcription can clear through the background noise and provide a written record of what you are saying so that you do not have to stop the recording, repeat, and edit old recordings. This ultimately saves time by only having to record once as opposed to doing multiple takes to make sure everything is said accurately and is audible.
Create More Meaningful Interactions with Students
Whether you're teaching high school, postsecondary education, or other online classes, connections matter. Being intentional with your student interactions is what makes a class memorable and meaningful for those students. It is important to understand that not every student is not on the same playing field, even if they are all in the same course.
Some international students may feel more comfortable learning in their language of origin, so making lectures available with transcriptions or voiceover dubs in their language of origin can make them feel more comfortable with the course content.
With transcription software like Maestra, it is easy to transcribe your audio effectively. That means little hassle on your end for assisting students and meeting them where they are at.
Boost Grades
One way to increase student grades is to provide video lectures with transcriptions. Students are able to take more effective notes by following the transcription and can recall information more easily by going back and reviewing the transcription.
Repurposing the Content
Transcribing video lectures provides you with a permanent record of your material, which can be reused over and over again. This is beneficial because it allows the information to be accessible at any time. Having a permanent record of your lectures can ensure that you always have access to the information you need.
One of the best things about transcribing your lectures is that it can help you to get ahead of the game for future semesters, which cuts down on time having to re-record anything. You can then focus more on grading, responding to students, or catching up on other tasks just by transcribing lectures.
Transcribe Your Lectures with Maestra
We at Maestra want to help you with all your needs for transcribing. Online transcription is now easier than ever with our transcription service!
All you need to do is upload your audio file, transcribe your audio through our transcription software, and then check it and export the file! Our text editor is interactive so you can correct any errors you notice and make sure everything is accurate before the final download.
Want to learn more about transcription or how Maestra can assist you with all your transcription needs? Check out our transcription service site today!