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Whether it is a teacher discussing a lesson in front of a camera, or a video composed of moving typographies, fancy transitions, and out-of-the-box animations, or a simple PowerPoint presentation with a voice recording edited over each slide, we want to deliver our educational video across a larger audience whenever we post it online. But one of the major obstacles in achieving this is the lack of accessibility. Greater reach equates to better accessibility. If you want more people to spare more time learning through your video material, you’ve got to invest in how you make your piece and add features that will enhance the accessibility of your learning material.

Below are five steps to creating more accessible educational videos:

1. Secure accessibility when producing your video.

When preparing for your video lessons, always keep in mind that you are aiming to make your content as accessible as possible. To do that, make sure the text you put on the screen is reasonably large for it to be effortlessly readable. Also, use high contrast colors to produce vivid and easily distinguishable images, but never convey information based on color alone for viewers with color blindness. Another must is to never ever include flashing or flickering content, as the study shows — and there have already been numerous incidents — it can trigger seizures, especially to susceptible individuals.

2. Choose a reliable video player.

It is important to select a video player that is fully accessible. It must also be customizable where it should provide an option for users to toggle on and off the captions and/or narration. Other than that, it must still function and operate just fine using only a keyboard or a mouse. As an educational video producer, you should also review if the buttons and controls are properly labeled in the monitor and in the audio description as well for your audience who use screen readers. Lastly, check whether the video player is entirely functional across different devices and in all major web browsers. There is a long list of video players you can choose from which are available on the internet, but better stick to the one which is free and open-source, and most importantly, gives full access to your video content as mentioned above.

3. Add captions and subtitles.

Video captions are synchronized textual representations of both speech and non-speech sounds being played in the video, while subtitles are word translations of one language to another. Adding captions will provide people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to learn the auditory information in the video while adding subtitles will aid your viewers to understand other languages used in the material which they don’t know. Besides, there are laws that mandate video transcriptions. For instance, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that videos displayed in public must be accessible to persons with disabilities. Moreover, as an additional tip, you could also make your captions and subtitles available to more languages so more people can listen and watch your learning tool.

Now, you can either return through your videos more than a couple of times to type out the captions and subtitles yourself or hire a third-party company. For example, TranscriptionWing offers an accurate and affordable video captioning service that can do the job with fast turnaround times.

4. Include a window for sign language.

Having a small window, which is usually located at the lower left-most of the screen, displaying a sign language interpreter is a rare add-on on educational videos. Since we are after accessibility here, you should really take this into strong consideration. Including this feature would be of great help for your audience members who primarily communicate using sign language and are having a hard time reading and comprehending captions being flashed on the screen, especially when fast-paced. However, make sure that the window size is large enough that it is still discernible to the viewers but small enough that it does not take too much space on the educational video itself.

5. Provide a transcript.

A fully accessible video does not only contain captions and subtitles, but also a transcript. Not everybody will have ample time to finish watching your video, and not everybody prefers watching over reading. This is why precise and comprehensive transcripts will be helpful and convenient to some viewers, especially those who just quickly scan and skim through the material, as it will provide them everything that has transpired in the video. Advisably, make it available in text, HTML, and/or Word file formats. 

Similar to video captioning, it can be a do-it-yourself endeavor or you can just look for a vendor partner such as TranscriptionWing that can hand you a complete and errorless video transcription for a budget price.

Image source: yanalya, katemangostar

The art of writing board meeting minutes is just that: an art. It is learnable, yes, and there are a million and one guides that can be found out there on how to write them. These guides would tell you to always write the date and time of the meeting, the participants’ name, whether a quorum is present or not, the motions and actions taken or rejected, the agenda or any addition to it, and other such things.

The art of writing board meeting minutes, however, is not as bland as what some of these guides might imply. There are actually quite a lot that goes into writing meeting minutes, a lot of things to consider and a plethora of stuff to watch out for and take note of.

Keep these Tips in Mind when Writing Board Meeting Minutes:

Check your equipment before

The first step in being good at writing board meeting minutes is by checking whether or not you already have everything prepared before the meeting itself commences. That preparation includes not only having the essential tools of the trade – your pen and paper or perhaps a laptop or mobile device, depending on your preferences – but also touching base with the higher-ups and bosses on what specific format, if any, to use, asking for and reviewing a copy of the meeting agenda so you can know who exactly is in the meeting and what topics would be covered ahead of time, and also checking out past meeting minutes if still unsure about the template or format to be used. Ensuring that you are prepared to take minutes is already half of the battle won.

  Use consistent language throughout

Meeting minutes are often thought of to be boring to both read and write because they seem so cookie-cutter and dry compared to, say, a blog post on a company’s website. This is true, but it is done for a good reason. Meeting minutes actually need to be somewhat bland because injecting even a slight personal bias into it may cause misunderstandings when other people read it. Even a simple inside joke or pun can and will be misinterpreted by other parties reading the minutes who are not privy to your brand of humor, which will surely lead to greater problems down the road. As such, leave out the jokes and the puns for blog posts or social media or inside the office; your job here is to be as objective as possible, and that means being bland in reporting the facts, and the facts only as they happened. Be very, very careful in maintaining neutrality by choosing words that give that specific feeling, and try to maintain a consistent writing style throughout the whole document.

Remember the difference between notetaking and transcribing

There is a fine line to be treaded between notetaking and transcribing. Transcribing is writing down anything and everything that is said at the meeting, down to the corniest of jokes and the littlest of observations about, say, the weather. Notetaking is jotting down everything that is important while disregarding the rest.

A minute-taker must always remember the difference between the two activities and always keep in the back of their mind that taking meeting minutes is essentially the same as notetaking, except perhaps much more concise and to the point than what one might do when taking notes about something. It might be tempting to just give up and start writing everything one hears, but that urge must be fought. Use active listening to try to get into the groove of things, and look out for keywords or phrases that might signal somebody is about to say something important.

Ask questions when you need to

A hallmark of a good meeting minutes taker is that they know exactly when to ask the right questions to the right people. With that said, no one is born a good meeting minute taker, and so they must start with the basics; that is, asking questions.

Do not be afraid to interrupt every now and then when you judge that you need to interrupt, whether to have someone repeat what they said louder so that everyone can hear it, or whether to ask his or her name, especially if in a meeting where someone is participating remotely and the audio is not good or abysmal. If unsure about something, just ask somebody; that might be embarrassing and might make you look like an idiot in the short term, but it’ll ultimately save everybody in the long run because they would be getting meeting minutes with correct information and you would be getting your job done.

Consider using a recorder

 Some people shun or even abhor the use of audio and video recorders when in meetings. This is a behavior that is not without basis, for some people do clam up and become rather meek when they are told that what they say is being recorded, and even assurances that that audio or video recording would be used only internally might not be enough to assuage them of their fear or caution. Some people, meanwhile, swear by recorders in meetings and other such gatherings, arguing that the benefits of a recording that is available for viewing whenever needed far outweigh any disadvantages, real or imagined.

Given all these, it is still a fact that recordings are incredibly helpful when taking meeting minutes because the minute taker can then review everything at their leisure after the meeting itself, and thus write much more accurate meeting minutes.

Think long and hard on whether to use a recorder or not in a given meeting. Consider all the factors – the people involved, their personalities and idiosyncrasies – the potential tradeoffs, and then make your decision. Just be sure to get everybody’s consent when choosing to record a meeting, and consult and strictly follow your company’s document retention policies.

Image source: Lina Kivaka, Startup Stock Photos (Pexels)

With something as crucial as meeting minutes, accuracy is a must. The strategic proposals, approvals and denials, the key issues happening right now and the solutions they’ve agreed to implement are all discussed. Only someone reliable can be entrusted with such a task, and so the question of how could a company effectively record their meeting minutes arises.  

Here are Three Ways to Record Meeting Minutes:

• Designate a member of the team

A team member is usually assigned to do the minutes during a meeting. It’s definitely the most economical action, having a trusted individual take notes while the group continues with their discourse. The disadvantage here is that, at times, critical discussions require everyone’s full attention. 

How can the assigned note-taker fully concentrate on the meeting all the while taking down crucial key points from the meeting? This is where discrepancies and inconsistencies start to come in, especially if you’re assigning this task to someone who’s doing it for the first time. It can be confusing and challenging. Designating an internal person may be cost-effective but plausible limitations can emerge from it. 

• Hire a professional note-taker

If you don’t want someone from the team to do the meeting minutes, another way to jot it down is through hiring a professional note-taker. He will be physically present together with the group throughout the meeting. With his own preferred devices, he’ll record everyone’s opinions and concerns, and witness how all come together with a final decision on certain objectives. Having a note-taker in charge of the minutes is convenient, however, this benefit may be killing your budget. The fee for the time and labor of the note-taker and the fee of the actual meeting minutes document are two separate payments. This wouldn’t be a problem for companies who can afford to shell out large sums every month. Of course, the same can’t be said for the smaller players.

• Send the recording and have it summarized by a third-party company

Another option to manage your meeting minutes is to record the entire conference and then employ the services of a dependable third-party company to do the transcriptions. The only cost you would have to face is the meeting minutes itself. Just make sure to send over a clear audio recording of your meeting and the rest will be taken care of by the third-party company. If you’re concerned about sensitive and confidential information leaking out, you just have to find the right company that puts security and client confidentiality on its priority. 

One good example is TranscriptionWing’s InSummary service. TranscriptionWing is GDPR and HIPAA compliant and ensures that all the necessary procedures and precautions are done to keep your information safe. Choosing to use InSummary, too, would mean saving money since you will only pay for the summary itself. The cheaper route wouldn’t equate to lesser quality either because TranscriptionWing’s meeting notes service is an all-human process where experts identify the key points for you. In a nutshell, the service is secure, affordable, and reliable; everything you need in a partner you can trust.

Many may not recognize the benefits of meeting minutes, but at some point, everyone will agree. It is fundamental. It is a need. It is a valuable weapon a company can use to tread the path toward success.

If you ever find yourself listening in an earnings call, may it be for work as a professional analyst or for leisure as someone interested in investing for the very first time, you have to prepare for two things. First, given that the initial part of the call is a financial presentation, you have to be ready to jot down notes. Although sometimes long and tedious, these reports are vital in recordkeeping a company’s performance during a fiscal period. Now, while it’s true that management presenting their numbers to outsiders is an act of transparency, there’s nothing like getting honest data from an on-the-spot question and answer session. So, secondly, be sure to prepare questions.

Before an earnings call is wrapped up, the host opens the lines for questions. Depending on the number and the weight of the questions thrown, the Q&A portion could last about 20 to 40 minutes. This is where it gets interactive and interesting, as people from in and out of the company could start a more in-depth discussion behind the figures and graphs recently presented by the management. 

 Best Questions to Ask During an Earnings Call: 

1. Why did the company’s revenue and income increase or declined?

To begin with, it’s important to note that revenue and income are two different things. According to Investopedia, revenue is the total amount of income generated from the sales of goods or services of a company, whereas net income is the revenue subtracted with the business expenses. Revenue may increase with new product launch with the income getting greater alongside, but income growth can also occur by cutting supplies or shifting to a cheaper supplier. As revenue and income are some of the indicators of a company’s financial strength, seeking answers for the growth or drop of the two will tell you how the company efficiently controls and manages its operating costs. Thus, it will give you an idea about the company’s financial stability.

2. Where and why are the sales trending?

Surely, the sales of the company will be disclosed during the call, but more than the figure, watch out for the charts. A quarterly growth will definitely look better than a yearly increase, but the upward trend of the company’s sales is not always a good sign of investment. You should also check whether its growth is sustainable or just related to a one-time event. In addition, this open-ended question will let the management give a broad response wherein it may tackle future plans that could offer opportunities to expand the business or discuss issues that may impose risks to the company. Such a forecast will also provide you with insights about which areas or business units will be included in the company’s priority list next period.

3. Who are the emerging competitors in the industry?

Knowing the competition will aid investors in their decision-making process as business contenders might impact the company’s sales. After identifying the names of the possible competitors, you can conduct research on whether these companies will introduce new lines of product or develop new technologies that could affect the profitability of the organization in the succeeding terms.

4. What are the challenges to prepare and look out for?

This question will reveal the weak spots of the company that could upset its future earnings. For instance, after knowing that there has been a low yield rate issue in a particular business unit which happened to contribute more than 50% of the company’s revenue, it can be assumed that there may be a future cut down in the sales due to a shortfall in the coming term. However, it is difficult to decide whether it is wise to push the investment as this question will be of greater value if you follow it up with how the company is planning to resolve the problem. You will then need to evaluate the viability of their solution or strategy before you make up your mind.

Despite not having any legal requirement for public companies to conduct earnings call, they prefer to do so as it is a way for them to stay transparent to their shareholders by giving them context to the organization’s financial standing, achievements, operations, and issues. It is also an opportunity for analysts and investors, yourself included, to scrutinize the company you are planning to invest in. You wouldn’t want your investment to just go down the drain because you’ve placed your bet on some random company without investigating it. This is why part of being a smart investor is to ask or look for the right questions. To further understand what went down the call or reconfirm some details, you can access an earnings call transcript a little after the call. However, not all companies release an earnings call transcript. Should that be the case, you can always seek help from businesses offering transcription services. 

Something often asked in transcriber circles is the question of what is the quickest way to transcribe something, whether an interview, focus group discussion, meeting, panel, or something else.

This question is more complicated than it might seem at first, really, because there is no single magical way for someone to speed up their transcribing, though it would indeed be very convenient if there was one. There are, however, several proven ways by which someone could, with the right amount of time and effort invested into it, hasten their transcribing speed. 

Here Are Some of the Ways You Can Speed-up Your Transcription Project:

1. A good work environment

First and foremost, on a transcriber’s to-do list when transcribing interviews, or any other types of audio really, is to secure a good working environment where they can be free to do their job without any interruption. This means finding a nice, quiet spot wherein there is little to no distraction or any type of background noise. This is especially prevalent when using voice typing tools to speed up your transcribing, as most, if not all, voice typing tools floating around on the market will have an extremely hard time “listening” accurately to the audio when there is moderate to significant background noise of any type.

The value of a good chair can also never be underestimated in transcribing, for a transcriber will invariably spend a good chunk of their time transcribing seated. Having a good chair that conforms to the natural shape and outline of the body and is thus immensely comfortable would help with maintaining good posture, which is essential not only to one’s health but will also ensure that one can stay focused on the audio, thus ensuring the quality of the transcript.

2. Good tools

Finding a good transcription software or program should be a high priority for any transcriber aiming to be good at their job. Software specializing in transcription allows transcribers to pause the audio, rewind or fast forward, speed up the playback speed, and other such functions with but a single button press, which would come extremely handy for any type of transcription work because it is rather hard – or even downright impossible for quite a lot of people – to transcribe every single word accurately the first time around, and so a lot of manipulating audio is needed.

Also consider investing in a high-quality headset or earphone of some kind, as this will let you hear and correctly transcribe words much better. Noise-canceling headsets, in particular, are a godsend for those audio files with rather abysmal quality.

3. Typing speed

The typing speed of someone is perhaps the single thing that people think about when it comes to transcribing, and quite understandably so, for typing speed in transcribing is indeed very important. A person who can type at the rate of, say, 50 to 60 words per minute will be able to output transcription work faster than someone who can only manage 30 to 35 words per minute.

For those who are not proficient in typing, consider attending a typing class or downloading a typing program that can help with learning about techniques such as proper touch-typing that will increase typing speed.

4. Proper usage of autocorrect tools

Misspellings are quite common in something like transcription work where the norm seems to be that whoever types the fastest wins. Quite ironically, it is this seeming obsession with typing faster that leads to overall slower output time since it is surprisingly time-consuming to actually correct these misspellings. 

Autocorrect tools, when used correctly, help immensely with this issue because then the transcriber does not have to go back and correct every single misspelling. Just don’t forget to set the rules so that the autocorrect tool actually inputs the right words and terms in place of the misspellings. 

5. Practicing often

People often say that practice makes perfect. This adage is extremely true when it comes to transcribing audio. As with virtually everything, a person is not born good at transcription; he or she must put forward tons of work and effort in order to be even remotely good at it. This equates to spending a good number of hours transcribing something, as well as practicing.

Try to practice transcription by watching videos having people with what you may consider an unusual accent, and try to transcribe the whole movie’s dialogue as accurately as you can, then refer to the official subtitles or the whole screenplay, if available online, when finished to see whether you got most of it correct. Continue practicing until you get to the level you feel most comfortable with.