Examining the Educational Benefits of and Attitudes Toward Closed-Captioning Among Undergraduate Students

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Bryan Dallas
Amanda McCarthy
Greg Long

Abstract

Closed-captioning technology has been available for decades and is often used by individuals with disabilities to access video-based information. Course-related videos are routinely shown in college classrooms throughout the United States, however it is unknown if closed-captions are educationally beneficial for all students. The purpose of this study was to examine the educational benefits of closed-captioning among undergraduate students without disabilities and their associated attitudes toward the technology. The use of closed-captions adheres to the principles of Universal Design that encourages stakeholders to build environments and products that are accessible to all individuals. However, more evidence-based research is needed on the utility of this technology in college classrooms. Two separate video-based studies were conducted at one university and groups were randomly assigned to “caption” or “no caption” conditions. It was hypothesized that exposure to closed-captions would increase students’ recall and understanding of video-based information and improve attitudes toward the technology. Results suggested that participants who were exposed to closed-captions scored significantly higher on the subsequent assessment. Participants who already used closed-captions in their daily lives had significantly more positive attitudes toward the technology. Recommendations for further study are provided.

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How to Cite
Dallas, B., McCarthy, A., & Long, G. (2016). Examining the Educational Benefits of and Attitudes Toward Closed-Captioning Among Undergraduate Students. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(2), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v16i2.19267
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