Please see Green River's official Program Information Guide

Green River Community College offers a variety of options to obtain A.A.A. degrees or certificates in Computer Reporting Technologies.

Additional Information

Green River's Computer Reporting Technologies program offers you the following opportunities:

• To learn the latest technology in reporting, called "realtime." As the shorthand reporter writes on the steno machine, the words are displayed on the computer monitor for instant viewing of the spoken word. This technology is now being used in many courtrooms, depositions, classrooms, seminars, and corporate environments. This is the same technology utilized for closed captioning.

• To benefit from a structured, yet self-paced program

• To write shorthand and see it translated into English on the computer from the first day of training

• To learn computer applications in reporting technologies

• To develop the skills essential for employment as a scopist or text entry specialist

• To receive hands-on training experience

• To participate in internships in scoping and text entry environments

Realtime captioning is done by specially trained court reporters called stenocaptioners.  The stenocaptioner utilizes a steno machine to provide captions of live television programs and other forms of media for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers through realtime technology that instantly produces readable English text.  Broadcast captioners work for local stations and for national networks captioning news, emergency broadcasts, sporting events, and other programming. 

Another facet of the captioning process is called Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). This area allows stenocaptioners to provide more personalized services for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.  Most deaf people lose their hearing postlingually -- after acquiring reading and speaking skills -- and many of them do not become as proficient with a sign language as they are at reading text.  CART reporters may accompany deaf or hard-of-hearing clients as needed to classes, meetings, conferences, doctor appointments, church services, etc., to provide instant conversion of speech into text using the steno machine linked to a laptop computer.  

Postproduction captioning is the process by which the script text is placed onto a video in order that a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual can view the tape and read the audio portion that would otherwise be missed.  Postproduction captioning utilizes additional hardware for synchronizing the visible text to the timing of the audio and then recording or “burning” the text onto another videotape to create a captioned version of the original. 

Another facet of the captioning process is called Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART). This area allows stenocaptioners to provide more personalized services for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.  Most deaf people lose their hearing postlingually -- after acquiring reading and speaking skills -- and many of them do not become as proficient with a sign language as they are at reading text.  CART reporters may accompany deaf or hard-of-hearing clients as needed to classes, meetings, conferences, doctor appointments, church services, etc., to provide instant conversion of speech into text using the steno machine linked to a laptop computer.

The Green River Computer Reporting Technologies program is approved by the National Court Reporters Association.  All students entering the program must be high school graduates or have earned a GED certificate.

Upon completion of the required classes, students qualify for the Associate in Applied Arts degree in Captioning.  They must have completed a minimum of 40 hours of internship encompassing both realtime and postproduction captioning.  

In addition to the course work, there are recommended state and/or national examinations that a student should pass to become a captioner or CART provider.

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Page last updated: 12/11/2007