Welcome to See Print... or is it C-Print®?
With C-Print® captioning, users see what people are saying in text. C-Print® is versatile enough for users to "see" C-Print® text in new ways. Users may *listen* to it with an audio reader, *feel* it with a tactile braille reader, *supplement* it with a digital camera or smart pen, or *access* it via a PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet, etc.
C-Print® is not just for people who may be deaf or hard of hearing anymore! I invite you to learn more!
Happy Holidays to one and all! My C-Print training was done on a Mac-Book, and was a problem-free experience. I was wondering if the software is compatible with Apple's iPad?
I was a member of a professional organization of and for speech-to-text service providers (which has since disbanded). One mission of the organization was to "foster excellence of service". One method we agreed upon for achieving that goal was development of a "quality assurance procedure". That became the seed for a possible national certification process for C-Print® Captionists. The certification included Levels I and II. My major employer developed a skills certification process with that system at its core, and I worked hard to earn the Level II Certification in-house. We have continued to use the skill certification Levels I and II in-house. The main requirement for this Level II was (and is) a base captioning speed of 100 wpm with abbreviations with a minimum of 50% abbreviations. Those who initially achieved the Level II in-house certification have since gone well beyond that skill base. Two of my colleagues are captionists whom I consider to be the best in the nation -- captioning verbatim at extremely high wpm with typing and expansion accuracy, equivalent to results achieved with court stenography on a stenography machine.
That was a pilot for certification but not actual certification, which would require a national rating system. People need to be careful when they use that term because when you complete the training it's a certificate of COMPLETION, not a certification of a skill level. It never existed other than in an attempt to create one.
It would be nice to have an actual certification leveling as interpreters have, but apparently is a very costly process and one that no one wants to maintain. There are no real measures of skill built within the software other than a guess at wpm.
I have never seen someone doing C-Print being able to reach speeds of 225+ wpm unless you are referring to CART. C-Print was not made to excel at those speeds. They are different systems. I have seen excellent providers hit the 140+ mark but there is no measurement to see consistency.
First of all, hello, and thank you for your input, Anonymous!
In the past I used handwritten medical and legal shorthand. Later I was hired as a C-Print® Captionist while training in court stenography and studying C-Print® online. I've enjoyed being a part of seeing how far we could push the known abilities/uses of C-Print®. I don't discount the abilities or uses for CART or other speech-to-text systems. I can only tell you about my C-Print® experiences as I ponder insights or thoughts on its possible uses beyond captioning for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Yes, there was a pilot that attempted to create a national certification system. I'm happy to hear from someone who is aware of it. I don’t purport that mine is a nationally-recognized certification, and I apologize if anyone has that impression. I was a member of an organization working on creating a national system.
I can clarify the certification I have earned. A certification system was developed by my main employer as a way to standardize pay levels and acknowledge ability -- not just merit or tenure. It is based upon measurable skills-- incorporating abbreviation percentages, typing speeds with and without abbreviations, quality of transcript as well as ongoing professional development, observation on the job, peer critiquing and mentoring, and continuing education. I proudly wear my certification because I took years to initially earn it, and it takes constant effort to maintain it, improve upon it and keep it. I'm not insulted if someone chooses to ignore my certification at all. I wear my Level II in-house certification proudly. It is current and still utilized in my workplace and an accurate measure of my skills. I'm happy in outside hires to explain and demonstrate the skills behind the “Level II” in-house certification that I constantly work to maintain. (Continued--)
I hope you get to watch someone working at verbatim speeds similar to CART with C-Print®. As C-Print® becomes more common perhaps you will get that opportunity.
C-Print® wasn't created to excel at those speeds, but it can and does-- depending on the user's ability. It is surprising to some CART people when they see C-Print® rates of 225+ in action. Yes, I have worked beside two very skilled colleagues who captioned accurately at those rates in real-time. I find that possibility to be exciting -- a QWERTY system achieving such rates is exciting -- but it is achievable by very skilled users of that system whose goal is to see if they can push the speed/accuracy/real-time boundaries of the system.
In my hires, my goal is to render as close to verbatim as I can get and to capture all key information. In my work, I am not hired to prep or proof -- I work in real-time as close to verbatim as I can get, and as a result, I have gotten very fast with adding new dictionary entries on-the-fly.
The colleagues I described are people who caption verbatim consistently. I can fly in some classes and capture verbatim. In other classes, I strive along the edge of verbatim. It depends on the syllabic intensity, vocabulary in my dictionary, and the speaker's pace.
My fastest speed was actually in the captioning portion of testing for my Level II certification using a measured skill-building audio file with silences and gaps removed. I have only come close to that speed once in a classroom setting, but most of my assignments don't really speak at that intense, non-stop rate without gaps, either. (Continued--)
Increased speed with C-Print® requires going beyond the basic rules of C-Print®. I incorporate much of the same theory from my handwritten steno into abbreviating phonetics and phrases in C-Print®. I address dictionary conflicts using my own system. I create my own "brief forms" using a consistent system so that I rarely have to remember or memorize abbreviations. I just follow the C-Print® rules and my system, and even if it's a long phrase in a law class that I have not used in years, it expands. We all have our own methods for these. I have shortcuts that don't conflict with anything. Those I have memorized over many uses, and they are useful only to me. In another person's dictionary, my abbreviations may create conflicts. Our dictionaries are unique due to the individuality of our knowledge bases, abilities, and experiences.
As with steno, the more adept one is with the theory and one’s own dictionary and the more consistent one is in methods used to create abbreviations outside the standard rules of basic C-Print® training, the more skill and speed improves with experience. My base and max rates grow every year-- along with my dictionary.
Also like steno, skill-building never stops. Hit one speed wall, eventually break through, and aim for the next one ... and on and on. I am not the best I can be, and I never will be because I continually change my bull's-eye to a new one. I am not 225 wpm base CART speed with C-Print®, but in most of my classroom settings, that speed isn't required for me to render the class verbatim. Sure, the Supreme Court won't be hiring me, but I fulfill my duties in the settings to which I am assigned at present rates between 125 and 170, depending upon rate of speech and pauses. Each term, my base skill level grows between 5 to 15 wpm.
Anyway, that was probably more than you wanted or needed to know. :-)
As I continue to say to anyone who will listen, I hope to one day see a national certification system that will recognize C-Print® Captionists' skills. It would allow for nationalized standards for C-Print® skill and ability as well as nationalized pay scales based on skill level and experience.
Another possibility could be a nationalized certification for non-CART QWERTY Captionists. That would allow for people to qualify for standardized pay levels based on measurable results, no matter which QWERTY speech-to-text system was utilized.
Yes, CART and C-Print® are very different. The only thing that would improve C-Print® for me would be the ability to hit keys at the same time as one can with CART keyboards, but using a QWERTY keyboard -- or even better, with a Dvorak keyboard. If the software had that ability, I think someone could give CART a real challenge because they would not be reined in by the CART keyboard. I'd love to see that cross-over software model tested! If someone out there in cyber land develops that, call me. I want to challenge that on the job.
Hi! I'm a very new captionist (just sent off the materials for certification), and I'm working remotely with a student. The university has not done this before, and we're trying to figure out how to route the audio signal from the instructor back to me (some 3 hours away). Any advice would be appreciated more than you know. :)
Thank you for your query. Without knowing more system specs, the advice I can give you is limited. Please share more details about what method you are using to work remotely.
Your new best friend will be your university's tech office. They should be able to iron out any wrinkles that are beyond you.
Is your audio is separate from your remote visual feed? Remote methods usually include built-in audio capabilities. Some people just connect via remote desktop software or with online conferencing programs. These programs allow for audio.
As for improved audio, you may want to mic the instructor to the computer using a clip-on lavalier microphone (hard-wired or wireless).
It has been a long time since my training back in 2004. Overall, the training only took a short time. I did the training online, and it was set up where I worked at my own pace.
The theory was a short phonetic system of rules to learn, and the training incorporated applying the system and learning some Deaf culture as well.
The rest has been ongoing practice on my own to develop typing accuracy and speed with the system and building my dictionaries. Your skills will only be as good and consistent as the dictionaries you build.
NOTE: Back dictionaries up often and in more than one place, and do not overwrite the old versions with newer versions!
For more details on the present training program, visit http://www.ntid.rit.edu/CPrint/contact.php and check out the links on the "Captionist Training" tab at the top.
Happy Holidays to one and all!
ReplyDeleteMy C-Print training was done on a Mac-Book, and was a problem-free experience. I was wondering if the software is compatible with Apple's iPad?
See Print March 28, 2013 at 11:24 PM
DeleteBeta testing is being done using smart phones and iPad devices. I expect we'll see releases in the near future with new capabilities.
See Print August 26, 2013 at 11:49 PM
Enjoy! C-Print® has gone mobile!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/c-print-mobile/id648446317?mt=8
http://people.rit.edu/~cprint/assets/pdf/Mobile%20announcement.pdf
See Print September 19, 2015 at 8:57 PM
I have some news for Mac (OS X) users-- C-Print® Client for OSX is available for Mac or PC users.
https://www.rit.edu/ntid/cprint/news/c-print-client-osx
How did you become certified since there is not a certification for C-Print?
ReplyDeleteSee Print August 25, 2013 at 1:38 PM
DeleteI was a member of a professional organization of and for speech-to-text service providers (which has since disbanded). One mission of the organization was to "foster excellence of service". One method we agreed upon for achieving that goal was development of a "quality assurance procedure". That became the seed for a possible national certification process for C-Print® Captionists. The certification included Levels I and II. My major employer developed a skills certification process with that system at its core, and I worked hard to earn the Level II Certification in-house. We have continued to use the skill certification Levels I and II in-house. The main requirement for this Level II was (and is) a base captioning speed of 100 wpm with abbreviations with a minimum of 50% abbreviations. Those who initially achieved the Level II in-house certification have since gone well beyond that skill base. Two of my colleagues are captionists whom I consider to be the best in the nation -- captioning verbatim at extremely high wpm with typing and expansion accuracy, equivalent to results achieved with court stenography on a stenography machine.
That was a pilot for certification but not actual certification, which would require a national rating system. People need to be careful when they use that term because when you complete the training it's a certificate of COMPLETION, not a certification of a skill level. It never existed other than in an attempt to create one.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have an actual certification leveling as interpreters have, but apparently is a very costly process and one that no one wants to maintain. There are no real measures of skill built within the software other than a guess at wpm.
I have never seen someone doing C-Print being able to reach speeds of 225+ wpm unless you are referring to CART. C-Print was not made to excel at those speeds. They are different systems. I have seen excellent providers hit the 140+ mark but there is no measurement to see consistency.
See Print August 25, 2013 at 2:03 PM
DeleteFirst of all, hello, and thank you for your input, Anonymous!
In the past I used handwritten medical and legal shorthand. Later I was hired as a C-Print® Captionist while training in court stenography and studying C-Print® online. I've enjoyed being a part of seeing how far we could push the known abilities/uses of C-Print®. I don't discount the abilities or uses for CART or other speech-to-text systems. I can only tell you about my C-Print® experiences as I ponder insights or thoughts on its possible uses beyond captioning for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Yes, there was a pilot that attempted to create a national certification system. I'm happy to hear from someone who is aware of it. I don’t purport that mine is a nationally-recognized certification, and I apologize if anyone has that impression. I was a member of an organization working on creating a national system.
I can clarify the certification I have earned. A certification system was developed by my main employer as a way to standardize pay levels and acknowledge ability -- not just merit or tenure. It is based upon measurable skills-- incorporating abbreviation percentages, typing speeds with and without abbreviations, quality of transcript as well as ongoing professional development, observation on the job, peer critiquing and mentoring, and continuing education. I proudly wear my certification because I took years to initially earn it, and it takes constant effort to maintain it, improve upon it and keep it. I'm not insulted if someone chooses to ignore my certification at all. I wear my Level II in-house certification proudly. It is current and still utilized in my workplace and an accurate measure of my skills. I'm happy in outside hires to explain and demonstrate the skills behind the “Level II” in-house certification that I constantly work to maintain. (Continued--)
See Print August 25, 2013 at 2:08 PM
DeleteI hope you get to watch someone working at verbatim speeds similar to CART with C-Print®. As C-Print® becomes more common perhaps you will get that opportunity.
C-Print® wasn't created to excel at those speeds, but it can and does-- depending on the user's ability. It is surprising to some CART people when they see C-Print® rates of 225+ in action. Yes, I have worked beside two very skilled colleagues who captioned accurately at those rates in real-time. I find that possibility to be exciting -- a QWERTY system achieving such rates is exciting -- but it is achievable by very skilled users of that system whose goal is to see if they can push the speed/accuracy/real-time boundaries of the system.
In my hires, my goal is to render as close to verbatim as I can get and to capture all key information. In my work, I am not hired to prep or proof -- I work in real-time as close to verbatim as I can get, and as a result, I have gotten very fast with adding new dictionary entries on-the-fly.
The colleagues I described are people who caption verbatim consistently. I can fly in some classes and capture verbatim. In other classes, I strive along the edge of verbatim. It depends on the syllabic intensity, vocabulary in my dictionary, and the speaker's pace.
My fastest speed was actually in the captioning portion of testing for my Level II certification using a measured skill-building audio file with silences and gaps removed. I have only come close to that speed once in a classroom setting, but most of my assignments don't really speak at that intense, non-stop rate without gaps, either. (Continued--)
See Print September 19, 2015 at 8:59 PM
DeleteIncreased speed with C-Print® requires going beyond the basic rules of C-Print®. I incorporate much of the same theory from my handwritten steno into abbreviating phonetics and phrases in C-Print®. I address dictionary conflicts using my own system. I create my own "brief forms" using a consistent system so that I rarely have to remember or memorize abbreviations. I just follow the C-Print® rules and my system, and even if it's a long phrase in a law class that I have not used in years, it expands. We all have our own methods for these. I have shortcuts that don't conflict with anything. Those I have memorized over many uses, and they are useful only to me. In another person's dictionary, my abbreviations may create conflicts. Our dictionaries are unique due to the individuality of our knowledge bases, abilities, and experiences.
As with steno, the more adept one is with the theory and one’s own dictionary and the more consistent one is in methods used to create abbreviations outside the standard rules of basic C-Print® training, the more skill and speed improves with experience. My base and max rates grow every year-- along with my dictionary.
Also like steno, skill-building never stops. Hit one speed wall, eventually break through, and aim for the next one ... and on and on. I am not the best I can be, and I never will be because I continually change my bull's-eye to a new one. I am not 225 wpm base CART speed with C-Print®, but in most of my classroom settings, that speed isn't required for me to render the class verbatim. Sure, the Supreme Court won't be hiring me, but I fulfill my duties in the settings to which I am assigned at present rates between 125 and 170, depending upon rate of speech and pauses. Each term, my base skill level grows between 5 to 15 wpm.
Anyway, that was probably more than you wanted or needed to know. :-)
As I continue to say to anyone who will listen, I hope to one day see a national certification system that will recognize C-Print® Captionists' skills. It would allow for nationalized standards for C-Print® skill and ability as well as nationalized pay scales based on skill level and experience.
Another possibility could be a nationalized certification for non-CART QWERTY Captionists. That would allow for people to qualify for standardized pay levels based on measurable results, no matter which QWERTY speech-to-text system was utilized.
Yes, CART and C-Print® are very different. The only thing that would improve C-Print® for me would be the ability to hit keys at the same time as one can with CART keyboards, but using a QWERTY keyboard -- or even better, with a Dvorak keyboard. If the software had that ability, I think someone could give CART a real challenge because they would not be reined in by the CART keyboard. I'd love to see that cross-over software model tested! If someone out there in cyber land develops that, call me. I want to challenge that on the job.
Happy captioning, all!
~ Finis! ~
Hi! I'm a very new captionist (just sent off the materials for certification), and I'm working remotely with a student. The university has not done this before, and we're trying to figure out how to route the audio signal from the instructor back to me (some 3 hours away). Any advice would be appreciated more than you know. :)
ReplyDeletehhbrady,
DeleteThank you for your query. Without knowing more system specs, the advice I can give you is limited. Please share more details about what method you are using to work remotely.
Your new best friend will be your university's tech office. They should be able to iron out any wrinkles that are beyond you.
Is your audio is separate from your remote visual feed? Remote methods usually include built-in audio capabilities. Some people just connect via remote desktop software or with online conferencing programs. These programs allow for audio.
As for improved audio, you may want to mic the instructor to the computer using a clip-on lavalier microphone (hard-wired or wireless).
~ See Print Moderator
Okay, great; we're testing again today so hopefully with the IT dept there, we can iron out some of the details. Thank you so much!
DeleteHow long does it take to learn basic c-print captioning?
ReplyDeleteCher,
DeleteThank you for your question.
It has been a long time since my training back in 2004. Overall, the training only took a short time. I did the training online, and it was set up where I worked at my own pace.
The theory was a short phonetic system of rules to learn, and the training incorporated applying the system and learning some Deaf culture as well.
The rest has been ongoing practice on my own to develop typing accuracy and speed with the system and building my dictionaries. Your skills will only be as good and consistent as the dictionaries you build.
NOTE: Back dictionaries up often and in more than one place, and do not overwrite the old versions with newer versions!
For more details on the present training program, visit http://www.ntid.rit.edu/CPrint/contact.php and check out the links on the "Captionist Training" tab at the top.
~ See Print Moderator