The University has chosen Panopto as its primary lecture capture system and developed various policies concerning copyright, intellectual property rights (IPR), consent, and ownership. As an early adopter and someone providing training on this technology, these policies have direct impact on my practice.w

Initiating Policy Change

I played a key role in initiating and shaping the university's auto-captioning policy. This process began when I worked with the School of Psychology on their requirements for enabling auto-captions on teaching recordings. My involvement ultimately triggered the introduction of a university-wide policy.

The conversation began with a representative from the MSc Psychology program who had experienced the use of subtitles on lecture recordings during their undergraduate studies. In response, I:

1. Provided detailed guidance on enabling automatic, machine-generated captions in Panopto.
2. Highlighted the average accuracy of these captions (usually around 70-75%) and the potential for manual editing.
3. Discussed the option of using an external service for human-generated captions, which offers higher accuracy but at a greater cost.

To support this initiative further, I proactively reached out to the Panopto Technical Support Group to inquire about enabling auto-captioning at the folder level in Panopto. This would simplify the process of managing subtitles across multiple video files.

Through my discussions with the University IT team, I helped identify both the technical limitations and policy considerations surrounding this request. We explored:

• The feasibility of allowing users to opt-out of auto-captioning
• Adding captions to videos for optional student use
• The unique accessibility needs of students with disabilities

By advocating for these considerations, I played a key role in shaping the university's approach to auto-captioning and ensuring that the diverse needs of our student population were addressed.

Impact on Policy Development

Following my proactive outreach and discussions, the University introduced a new policy for 'Panopto's automatic captioning feature' which directly addressed the concerns and considerations I had raised. As stated in the policy:

"Automatic (AI generated) captioning is now available in Panopto. This feature has been enabled by default, allowing viewers to switch the captions on should they wish to do so. Note that the owner of the recording has the ability to disable captions."

This policy change ensures that AI-generated captions are now enabled by default on all new recordings, significantly enhancing accessibility.

I actively promoted this policy to academics in the School of Psychology, explaining its features and implications. One aspect I particularly appreciate is its acknowledgement of the variable accuracy of AI-generated captions – a key point I had emphasised during discussions. The policy includes provisions for manual editing, allowing us to refine caption accuracy and better cater to our diverse student body.

Addressing Accuracy Concerns

A key concern raised by staff has been the accuracy of auto-generated captions. They have highlighted the potential for inaccurate captions to mislead students and create confusion - a serious issue in disciplines where precise language is vital.