Even before the pandemic, the eLearning industry has been expanding at a regular pace. But the closure of most workplaces and schools led to a significant boom as more individuals and organizations invest in virtual learning, and more e-learning websites emerge. A new study by Global Market Insights even reveals that the eLearning market will reach $375 billion by 2026.
Many course providers now make use of subtitles and closed captioning in their eLearning materials. Apart from bridging the language barrier and making learning easier to understand, these features offer many other benefits. Before diving any further, though, what are closed captions? Are subtitles the same as closed captions?
Although subtitles and captions may overlap in many ways, they are very distinct entities, each having its purpose.
Captions are the text versions of the audio part of a video or presentation. They are usually in the language of the video and maybe open or closed. Closed captions differ from open captions in that they can be disabled at will. Captions are geared towards the deaf or hard of hearing and often include details like sound effects, music, and the speaker’s identity.
Subtitles, on the other hand, are on-screen translations of dialogue meant to accompany the audio track. They are geared towards people who do not understand the language of the medium. For example, an Italian person wanting to learn a course delivered in English will need translated subtitles to follow and understand the course.
Present Trends In eLearning
The eLearning industry, like any other, has experienced its fair share of evolution and change since its inception. Several new trends aimed at making the eLearning experience more effective are springing up. These trends include mobile learning, adaptive learning, gamification, microlearning, artificial intelligence, etc. While some are very much recognized, others are still in the early stages and are yet to gain popularity.
Benefits Of Subtitling And Captions In eLearning
There are several benefits of subtitles and closed captioning to both eLearning professionals and their audience. Some of them are;
- It offers greater accessibility.
Using subtitles and closed captions for your videos allows those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or can’t effectively speak English to access your course.
- It appeals to a broader range of learning needs.
Using closed captioning and subtitles in eLearning adds an all-important visual element to the lecture. The availability of texts helps learners who are more inclined to visual or text-based eLearning materials better understand the ideas and concepts being communicated. This way, learners can read and listen to every presentation, making it a more complete and effective eLearning process.
- It boosts memory retention.
When learners can read and hear the eLearning course content, the information provided is more likely to end up in their long-term memory bank. This makes for better knowledge retention and comprehension. With closed captions, learners also can look up terms and words they find difficult to comprehend since they’re spelt out right on their screens.
- It meets compliance standards.
In 2012, The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund won a lawsuit filed against Netflix. As a result, anyone who uploads any eLearning material on platforms like iTunes Store or Amazon Instant Video must include captions to meet compliance standards.
Why Hire A Language Service Provider
Quality subtitling and closed captioning require the work of trained professionals who have mastered both translation and intricacies of subtitling to ensure the viewing experience is not hampered in any form.
Hiring a language service provider grants you access to a pool of experts and saves you the financial stress of investing in the specialized tools that make for excellent delivery. You benefit from their experience, expertise, and extensive knowledge of the niche in question.
Although technology continues to evolve, computer programs can not capture the nuances of a language like a language service provider can. Hiring a language service professional ensures that the message you’re trying to pass in your learning material is not altered in any way.
Bottom Line
The numerous benefits of closed captions and subtitles in virtual learning have made its implementation necessary. Not only does it help you bridge the language barrier with subtitles, but eLearning stakeholders can also be sure that the closed captioning and subtitles will be meeting the government regulations for virtual learning experiences. Therefore, it’s crucial that the job not only be done but be done well. That said, hiring a language provider like Translationsinlondon is by far the best bet.