A: First, familiarize yourself with the procedure for voicing when the transcriber is in the classroom. With some advance planning and audio testing, that procedure can be adapted for a remote transcriber relatively easily. The existing audio call (via Skype or AIM, usually) can be used to transmit the transcriber's voice for the professor/class to hear on the reader's end. Remote transcribers customarily "mute" the microphone on their end so that any noise they make, and the sound of their keyboard tapping, won't disturb anyone on the reader's end. The transcriber will have to remember to un-mute his/her microphone to voice the student's question, and then mute it immediately to begin transcribing again.
External speakers can be cumbersome to carry around, so we recommend using the speakers built in to the Reader laptop. Make sure the laptop is situated close enough to the professor for the sound to be audible. This will require some audio testing with a Skype call in advance, and the deaf student should be trained how to adjust the volume settings on the Reader laptop, if needed.
Similarly, the remote transcriber must have a working microphone on his/her end, and he/she should test the microphone volume settings in advance (e.g., with Skype's Test Call feature).
In addition to the sound testing described above, the Site Coordinator should arrange for the student, remote transcriber, and professor to practice the remote voicing procedure outside of class. Use the following procedure as a guideline, and adjust it as necessary for your classroom/setting:
- Once the deaf student has typed a question in the TypeWell Reader window, he/she should wait for confirmation that the transcriber has read and understood the question.
- Then the deaf student must signal to the professor that they have a question, following the class's "usual" procedure for asking questions or making comments.
- If the usual procedure is for students to raise their hands, then the deaf student should raise his or her hand to be called on.
- If the participants in the class simply call out their questions or comments, without raising a hand first, the transcriber should follow the same procedure to voice the deaf student's question/comment. You may want to preface your voicing with a phrase such as, "Question/Comment from XXX," so there is no confusion as to where the voice is coming from in that class setting.
- Once the remote transcriber knows that the student has been called, he/she will voice the question into the microphone, so that the professor (and hopefully the other students in the class) can hear it through the speakers on the Reader laptop.
- Then the transcriber will mute his/her microphone, wait for the professor's response, and begin transcribing again.
To be prepared to voice for a student remotely, a transcriber should practice by role-playing the procedure outside of real class time. We recommend adjusting the size of the audio call window and the TypeWell Transcriber window, so they can both be visible on the transcriber's screen at once. That way the transcriber has quick access to the mute/un-mute buttons.
TIP: To quickly toggle between two open programs, use the shortcut Alt-Tab!!