StarTran is Structured for Your Success

There are 40 “Schedules” in the StarTran Online program, corresponding to the 40 Lessons in StarTran Realtime Theory. The first 32 Schedules constitute Basic Theory, which takes you up to the writing of dense literary material.  The final 8 Schedules are Advanced Theory, where you learn the finer points of writing court and deposition transcripts.

One Schedule leads to and prepares you for the next, which, in turn, reviews and builds on everything you’ve learned already. Each Schedule has a machine shorthand test of the review/application material and a test of the material in the new Lesson. Each Schedule takes an average of 10 to 15 hours to complete, making it easy for you to budget your time. 

Step by Step Through a Comprehensive Learning Experience

You can begin your court reporting education with StarTran Online on any day of the week you choose.  Once you have your user ID and password, your adventure begins as you click “Schedule 1” for an in-depth introduction to all the basic concepts of realtime machine shorthand.  We start with how the very unique steno machine keyboard works and how it communicates with a CAT system (computer-aided transcription).  A CAT system instantaneously translates your steno writing (we never call it typing) into readable English.

With Schedule 2 we start right in, hands-on, with steno machine set-up and proper technique.  And then we are off, moving through the Schedules one finger and one key at a time. Soon you are reading and writing words in steno, sentences, then paragraphs, the speed goes up very gradually, and it begins to be fun!

Over the course of the following 6 to 9 months (the average time to complete StarTran Online), through written, audio and video explanation and practice modules, we methodically go through everything necessary to correctly write ANYTHING imaginable in the English language on the steno machine.

Guidance and Support From a Veteran Theory Instructor

You will be personally guided through the 40 Lessons of Basic and Advanced Theory by Startran Realtime Theory Author Marlene Struss.  She not only explains the concepts of each section of the Lesson, but also gives tips, advice on practice habits, time management, motivation, technique, on-the-job examples, common pitfalls, professionalism, transcript production, and more.  In this way she simulates the kind of brick-and-mortar classroom court reporting teaching she has done for many years. She incorporates grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary building, so important for court reporting, into every Lesson, and her feedback on each student’s tests is helpful and illustrative. Beyond that, she is always available to consult with and answer questions by email or phone.

StarTran Online is the Foundation of a Career,

not Just a Foreign Language

Not only will you increase your vocabulary, transcription skills, and your knowledge of the world of court reporting and captioning, but you will also be able to download and print each Lesson of the StarTran Realtime Theory textbooks, as well as the invaluable StarTran Reference Manual. The Reference Manual contains all the theory principles, briefs, phrases, conflict resolution, punctuation — everything you’ve learned — organized in an easy-to-look-up format that you will find handy for the rest of your career.

You will come out the other side armed with your free 93,000-entry StarTran CAT dictionary, writing conflict-free realtime with virtually 100 percent translation at speeds around 60-80 words per minute.  You will be trained and ready to go full speed ahead to 225 without hesitation — wherever you go for speedbuilding, way ahead of the rest of the class!

You won’t appreciate this as much now as when you enter the court reporting field and see how your colleagues are still struggling with untranslates and conflicts in their writing. All schools will say their theory is a realtime theory, because they may satisfy the very basic principles required for realtime set forth by the National Court Reporters Association. StarTran teaches you what you really need that other programs never mention . . .

Even though a dedicated student can complete StarTran Online in 6 to 9 months, you will have one full year of access. The extra time can accommodate unforeseen impediments to logging in or can be used for review and further practice.  You get one year of complete access to the StarTran Online platform for just $1,500. We state the amount proudly because it fulfills one of the original goals of creating StarTran Online — to provide qualified and self-motivated students with an affordable way to learn court reporting. For what some court reporting programs charge in a single month, you can complete the entire StarTran Online court reporting training program and reap the benefits throughout your
career!