Echo360 - Lecture Capture and Student Engagement

Create reliable, high-quality recordings and live streams in the classroom or from anywhere using your personal computer. 

In the classroom 

McMaster has installed Echo360 hardware appliances in many classrooms across campus.  These appliances will capture the classroom's projector image and room audio system, including microphones and device sound.  In some classrooms, Echo360 will also record a room camera.  This design keeps a consistent experience for anyone in the classroom and anyone viewing online.   

Instructors can request a schedule of automated recordings from these classrooms, or they can start their own ad hoc captures using a shortcut on the podium computer.    

On a personal computer 

If you are not in a classroom that has been integrated with a Echo360 hardware appliance, you can still use Echo360. No problem! 

Echo360's Universal Capture (Personal) is free software that you can download and install on your personal computer.  Start your own recordings and live streams by recording your computer display, webcam and microphone.   

Caption: Echo360 Quick Start Guide

Class discussion 

Echo360 offers a thread-based class discussion tool called Q&A.  Students or instructors can post a question or discussion topic, allowing others to respond to that topic thread.  The posts can be linked to specific video or slide content, and students can choose to post anonymously.   

Q&A discussion threads are available in real-time during live streamed lectures and they remain available for any asynchronous viewing.   

This feature is turned on for all courses by default. Instructors can turn the feature off in their course settings. 

Interactive polling slides 

Interactive polls can be added to any slide deck inside Echo360.  Students can answer multiple choice, ordered list, short answer, numerical and image polls from a web browser or the Echo360 mobile app.  Instructors can track results and give automated feedback for each response option. 

Polling within asynchronous video 

Interactive polls can be added to any video to highlight learning moments.  The poll creates a gate on the video playback such that students must answer the poll question before they can continue watching.  

Analytics 

Echo360 allows instructors to track student engagement with course material. You can track attendance, content views, discussion posts, and you can create a custom engagement score to identify metrics important to you.   

Why record lecture content? 

Echo360 can be a pathway to more inclusive class content.  Features like recorded and live streamed video, written transcripts and closed captions, and ability to ask question anonymously can improve learning experiences for students across a diverse spectrum of lived experiences.  

Students challenged by language barriers or key terms are provided a set of tools to help focus and engage with class material in meaningful ways. 

Accessibility addresses different physical and cognitive abilities that may affect a student's experience with class content. 

• Recorded class content helps remove barriers of access and provides autonomy over class experiences. 

• Recorded or live streamed video can assist with concentration, allowing viewers to focus.  Students can control playback speed, control playback volume, and enable transcripts and closed captions to assist with comprehension. 

• Recorded video content allows students to interact with class material on their own devices, catering to their own experiences. 

• Students can view class content multiple times, personalizing pace and attention. 

ASR & closed captioning  

Echo360 automatically transcribes videos with Automatic Speech Recognition to make them more accessible and engaging. Easily edit transcripts into fully compliant closed captions right in Echo360's transcript editor. 

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) may recommend Echo360 as an academic accommodation.  In these cases, SAS may partner with a closed caption provider to produce compliant, accessible closed captions and transcripts. 

Review Echo360's commitment to accessibility: Accessibility at Echo360: Guiding Principles

Anonymous class discussion 

Students may be hesitant to ask questions or participate in discussion for several reasons.  With Echo360, students can choose to ask and respond to questions anonymously.  For these posts, students will not be identified to their classmates, however instructors will always be able to identify who has posted in class discussion.   

Echo360 integrates directly into Avenue to Learn. Instructors and students can interact with Echo360 content without ever leaving their Avenue to Learn course page. Everything stays tidy and organized in one central spot.

Add Echo360 to Avenue to Learn as an External Learning Tool or use the Easy Embed feature. 

Students can submit video assignments in Avenue to Learn using the Easy Embed feature.

Learn more about integrating Echo360 and Avenue to Learn in the Echo360 Knowledge Base.

Personal library 

Upload and organize content in your personal Echo360 library.  Only you have access to your library but you can share content with others, or collaborate using Collections. Use search and filter tools to navigate your library content. 

Collections 

Organize content into collections for a collaborative experience.  You can control the permissions for other users as you grant them access to the collection.  Allow users to edit videos, edit transcripts, or even download content. 

Editing 

Edit videos from anywhere with no complicated tools required using Echo360’s browser-based editor. Available directly from your media details page, the editor allows the you to simply make and save changes, and the published version is automatically updated. You can perform trims, cuts and insert edits.  All edits are non-destructible and can be reverted back to the original.   

Transcript editing 

All videos recorded or uploaded to Echo360 get an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) transcript and closed captions attached. Access the transcript editor from your media details page to edit the transcript for accuracy. Save your changes and apply them to closed captions. 

Sharing 

You can share individual videos using URL links and embed codes.  Keep the links private to require viewers to authenticate with their MacID before viewing.  This will also track who views your content.  You can also create access links to entire Echo360 course pages.  This makes it easy to use Echo360 with Microsoft Teams. 

Scheduling a classroom capture

Instructors can schedule recordings and live streams in classrooms equipped with Echo360 hardware devices.  These recordings can be scheduled in a series or individually and they will automatically start and stop at the scheduled times.  Check the Campus Classroom Directory to see if Echo360 lecture capture hardware is available in your classroom. 

Prerequisite

If you plan to use Avenue to Learn, do the self-service integration for Echo360 and Avenue to Learn before requesting scheduled lecture captures.  If you do not plan to use Avenue to Learn, a standalone Echo360 course page can be created for you.

Learn about different options and more about integrating Echo360 and Avenue to Learn on the Echo360 Knowledge Base.

How to schedule an Echo360 recording or stream 

Contact Campus Classroom Technologies (cct@mcmaster.ca) with the following information: 

1. Course code, course name, section name (eg. C01) and term 

2. Instructor email address 

3. Building and room number 

4. Class schedule, including days and times for lectures 

5. Will the recording also be live streamed? 

6. Do you want the recorded video to be made available immediately or delay the availability? You may wish to delay student access to give you time to make any timeline edits (24hr increments). 

7. Do you want the video content to become unavailable to students after a period of days? (24hr increments)

All classrooms equipped with Echo360 hardware devices can record the projector and room microphones. Some rooms also include a robotic room camera as a 2nd source.  Check the Campus Classroom Directory for available equipment. 

• Step-By-Step Guide: Schedule Automated Recordings with Echo360