Online court reporting education: Typical Pre-requisites and Curriculum

Court reporting is the process of transcribing the spoken word during court hearings, official proceedings and live events. The field itself is quiet steady in its growth, growing with the national average (according to the bureau of labor statistics) and the work itself is now supported with technology which reduces time and effort and improves results. This does not mean that the court reporter is becoming less important; on the contrary, court reporters trained in the latest transcription techniques and possessing the required knowledge base on a variety of subjects, are needed now more than ever as the judicial system and media industry (which requires a large amount of transcription work as well) grow larger.

Online court reporting schools are either accredited or non-accredited institutions which offer students the opportunity to receive the technical training and education necessary to pre-qualify them for certification. Education and training traditionally takes from two to two and a half years to complete, however, with a self paced study, especially through online court reporting schools which offer the full range of training courses online, this education, especially at the associate level, can be completed in a little over a year. Self paced study gives prospective students the time they need for their jobs and family and social lives while studying when it suits their busy schedules best. Most courses are blended i.e. they are offered in a combination of both traditional and online teaching classrooms and workshops.

Online / blended Teaching Methodology

Typically, lectures are pre-recorded and delivered in the format of PowerPoint presentations, webcasts, video clips etc while 'live' transcription exercises are conducted over the internet as well as in periodic sessions conducted in traditional classroom environments. The exact methodology differs from institution to institution and prospective students should look up several good online court reporting schools to find their 'best fit'.

There are several online courses available that offer everything from simple certification in transcription skills to Associates and Bachelor's degrees which cover comprehensive subject areas in paralegal studies. Although a full degree is generally not required, it is preferred as it especially prepares reporters for the courtroom by improving their knowledge base and proficiency.

Online Court reporting education: General Objectives

The primary objectives of online court reporting courses include training students in transcription techniques (the use of stenographs, short-hand, computer aided real-time transcription and the use of modern tools) as well as educating prospective reporters in subject matter that they are relevant to the courtroom e.g. terminology, legal issues and language etc (discussed below).

Text-books and Equipment generally required

Many institutions require that students provide their own stenograph machines however some institutions make such machines available for blended / classroom courses for internal testing and training.

There is generally an online knowledge resource available for students to access in order to read / save information related to courses (including reading and training material as well as referencing material and practice tests & exercises).

Equipment requirements for training

Stenograph machine (Stentura 400SRT, Stentura 200SRT or 400SRT, or other comparable real-time capable writing machine).

A good computer (Desktop or laptop) with the following accessories and software;

- The Windows XP or Vista operating system is usually required to run CAT software
- MP3 player / converter software as well as Office Tools (Word, PowerPoint and Adobe Raeder)
- CD-RW drive, USB ports and Head-Set
- Fast internet connection (Cable / DSL)

Subjects on which typical courses are offered and for which a variety of textbooks may be recommended;

- Medical terminology
- Legal terminology
- Court procedures and Judicial reporting
- Transcription
- Language and Grammar
- Stenography
- Short-hand
- Voice writing
- Broadcast Captioning
- CART and CAT Systems

References:

Wikipedia[dot]org
CourtReportingFAQs[dot]com
TextStreamInstitute[dot]com/realtime[dot]html
Education-Portal[dot]com/articles/Associate_of_Offical_Court_Reporter:_Degree_Overview[dot]html
NationalCourtReportingInstitute[dot]com/fees[dot]htm
nvra[dot]org
ncraonline[dot]org

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