Transkriptor, an AI-powered transcription tool, is making significant strides in helping educational institutions address language barriers in diverse classrooms. A recent study revealed that non-native speakers in universities using Transkriptor understood lectures better and participated more when transcriptions were provided in their preferred language. Initially created for business meetings, this tool has now found a growing role in education, providing solutions for students facing language barriers and learning differences in today’s digital learning environment. Eylem Işık, a research assistant at Galatasaray University, explains the value of transcription tools in such scenarios: “During the pandemic, international students struggled to keep up with lectures in a second language while taking notes. Tools like Transkriptor help ensure continuity in education during disruptions.”
From Business Meetings to Classroom Support
During the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning exposed several challenges for students, especially those who did not speak the primary language of instruction. Transkriptor, initially designed to transcribe business meetings, has evolved to address these challenges in educational settings. The tool’s ability to transcribe lectures in over 100 languages has been particularly beneficial for international students and those with learning difficulties.
As Transkriptor works alongside platforms like Zoom and Teams, it allows students to focus on understanding the content rather than worrying about note-taking in a non-native language.
Research Highlights the Benefits of AI Transcription
The UNESCO 2024 Global Education Report emphasizes that students often miss 28% of educational content when simultaneously listening, processing, and taking notes. For non-native speakers, this figure can be even higher. Transcription tools like Transkriptor can alleviate these challenges by offering a written transcript that students can revisit to reinforce their understanding of complex topics.
AI-powered transcription tools also help improve content accessibility for students with hearing impairments or other learning differences, providing a flexible, adaptive learning environment.
“Designed for Education”: Insights from Berkay Kınacı
In an interview with Berkay Kınacı, the Chief Operating Officer of Tor.app, he explains how Transkriptor evolved from a business tool to an educational asset. Kınacı shares that the tool was enhanced based on feedback from educators who highlighted the unique needs of academic settings.
“We developed Transkriptor‘s features with help from educators who showed us the special needs of academic settings,” says Kınacı. “What started as a simple transcription tool now includes features that help students engage better with lecture content.”
features of the tool include:
- Multilingual Capabilities: The tool’s ability to transcribe in over 100 languages is invaluable for international students.
- Integration with Platforms like Zoom and Teams: As hybrid learning becomes more common, these integrations help bridge the gap between in-person and online learning.
- Organizational Tools: Beyond simple transcriptions, Transkriptor allows students to organize their notes into knowledge bases and analyze content for key themes, making it an essential study resource.
Expanding Educational Tools: Eskritor and Speaktor
To complement Transkriptor, Tor.app has developed additional tools that support various aspects of academic communication. For example, Eskritor is an AI writing assistant that helps students create and edit content in multiple languages, which is particularly beneficial for non-native speakers working on academic writing.
Meanwhile, Speaktor offers text-to-speech capabilities in over 50 languages, helping students with visual impairments or reading difficulties. Speaktor has also been valuable during intensive exam periods, allowing students to listen to study materials when reading becomes too tiring.
Supporting Diverse Learning Needs
The benefits of Transkriptor extend beyond traditional higher education. The tool has been implemented in engineering and technical programs at major universities, providing accessibility for students with hearing impairments and complementing existing support services. Transkriptor is also being explored by organizations working with refugee populations, demonstrating its potential to support displaced students facing language barriers.
The Future of Educational Technology
Looking forward, Berkay Kınacı envisions the future of AI-powered educational tools evolving based on the feedback of educational users. “We see that AI can do more than just capture content. It could help find connections between ideas, create study materials for individual learning needs, and fill knowledge gaps in real-time,” he explains.
Tor.app’s roadmap includes improved integration with learning management systems and expanded content analysis tools to enhance the learning experience for students of all backgrounds. As educational technology spending grows, AI tools like Transkriptor are poised to play a major role in transforming how educational content is delivered and accessed.
Kınacı concludes, “Technology can’t replace good teaching, but it can improve the learning experience by removing barriers. Our mission is to make educational content accessible to everyone, regardless of language or learning differences.”
