Audiovisual resources have become integral to the classroom. A high percentage of these materials are used to support the curriculum, yet the access barriers for many students that this presents are not being adequately addressed by all states and systems.
The Scootle portal houses an increasing range of content from a variety of educational sources. From an accessibility standpoint, only some of the content is captioned and Scootle has put processes in place to include more captioned educational content in the future.
Videos and multimedia are being used more and more in the classroom – a trend the new Australian curriculum certainly encourages. Using video not only allows for variety and engagement, but for a real benefit for students’ literacy: captions. Similar to foreign language subtitles, captions are the text version of audio, including speech, sounds and music.
Captions are essential for students who are Deaf or hearing impaired and also have immense benefits for students learning an additional language, struggling readers, and visual learners.
Captions are not only essential for children who are Deaf or hearing impaired but have been demonstrated to improve literacy outcomes across the board. Captions are particularly valuable for students who speak English as an additional language, struggle with reading or are visual learners. Our education campaign, CAP THAT!,encourages teachers to turn on captions whenever they press play in the classroom.
Applications to the Australian Curriculum Equity and Diversity Advisory Group are encouraged from people who have expertise in at least one priority equity and diversity area. These areas include students with a disability and students with English as an additional language or dialect.
The group is a welcome opportunity for professionals who have experience working with students with a disability, such as Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf (ITODs), to provide expert input.
