University of Pittsburgh: Live Captioning for Student Success

The University of Pittsburgh’s Disability Resources and Services (DRS) office is committed to ensuring equal access to educational and campus resources for students with disabilities. By providing tailored accommodations and support services, the DRS team fosters academic success and personal growth while promoting inclusivity across the university.

Partnering with 3Play Media has enabled the university to offer reliable, high-quality live captioning, supporting its mission to support all students in their educational journey.

The Challenge

Making educational content accessible is central to the DRS office’s mission, and live captioning plays a critical role for students who rely on text-based content to engage in lectures and discussions.

However, growing demand for live captioning services presented operational challenges, including delays in processing requests and ensuring timely delivery. Previous vendors did not meet the DRS team’s need for a streamlined solution that could provide efficiency, accuracy, and integration with existing platforms.

The institution sought a reliable vendor with an effective solution that could offer live captioning to improve comprehension, engagement, and participation in both in-person and recorded sessions.

Growing Demand

Rising demand for live captioning prompted the need for a reliable, efficient solution that would handle operational challenges.

Streamlined Workflow with AIM Integration

Integrating 3Play Media’s live captioning with AIM has transformed the workflow and process for University of Pittsburgh DRS. Automated requests and seamless workflows ensure faster, more accurate support, reducing delays and empowering students and staff alike.

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  Step 1:

  Student requests real-time accommodations for their courses in AIM.

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  Step 2:

  In AIM, staff assigns requests to 3Play Media (this is the only thing you need to do!)

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  Step 3:

  3Play Media automatically schedules and staffs requests for the entire semester.

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  Step 4:

  3Play Media sends a static captioning URL to AIM that can be used for the entire course.

The Solution

Seamless Workflows

3Play’s AIM and Panopto integration streamlined workflows, simplifying scheduling and ensuring reliable, high-quality live captioning.

To meet these challenges, the DRS office implemented 3Play Media’s live captioning solution. The integration with the university’s existing platforms, AIM and Panopto, proved to be a game-changer and allowed for:

• Automated Scheduling: Simplifying captioning requests and scheduling significantly reduced processing and wait times.
• User-Friendly Access: Intuitive workflow and interfaces made it easy for faculty and students to schedule and access captions.
• Improved Reliability: Consistent high-quality captions enhanced engagement and comprehension for live and recorded sessions.

This collaboration streamlined operations while ensuring students had reliable access to accessible learning materials.

The Impact

The effective integration of 3Play Media’s live captioning at the University of Pittsburgh led to several significant outcomes:

• Positive Feedback

  Both students and faculty praise the service for enhancing learning experiences and reducing administrative burdens. Students feel more confident and supported, and faculty can focus more on teaching.

• Operational Efficiency

  Integrating 3Play Media live captioning with AIM and Panopto has streamlined scheduling and reduced administrative tasks. Captions are now easily accessible during live sessions and embedded in recordings without extra steps.

• Support for Diverse Needs

  Live captioning has been seamlessly incorporated into course planning, ensuring all students—whether for accommodations or learning preferences—can access content equitably.

Conclusion

The successful implementation of 3Play Media’s live captioning solution at the University of Pittsburgh has improved accessibility, sparked broader conversations about inclusivity, and enhanced operational efficiency to better support all students.

By fostering a more inclusive learning environment, the University of Pittsburgh continues to set a standard for accessibility, empowering students and faculty to succeed.