Getting Started Resources for Students
Take a moment to watch this video [7:41], "How to use Echo360 as a Student".
IMPORTANT NOTE: You need to be logged in to your SVSU account in order to view the video.
Overview
Echo360 (EchoVideo) is a system that allows students to view recordings or join Live Stream classes that they can watch as they need to or participate in polls. Students can use the Classroom tools to ask questions and interact with the media, their peers and instructor, along with the ability to bookmark segments in a video or presentation, take Notes, and more.
Article Sections
Click the links below to take you to a specific section in the article.
Accessing Echo360
All students in a Canvas course have access to Echo360 content. Students can access Echo360 in a variety of ways in Canvas depending on the instructor; can be for an entire term of lecture recordings/presentations or by the individual class session in an assignment or module. NOTE: Students will not have a separate log-in outside of their SVSU network password.
Supported Browsers
Browsers NOT SUPPORTED are Internet Explorer and Safari. Supported Browsers are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox (best experience) to view media and participate in polling questions. Ensure Chrome and Firefox are the latest versions, check your browser version for Chrome or Firefox.
Google Chrome and Firefox may need to have Cookie settings configured (help guides below):
How do I view Echo360 media?
IMPORTANT: For best experience, you should be at a computer for viewing or participating in polls using a Google Chrome or Firefox.
Media can be viewed a variety of ways:
- Embedded media in Canvas (Announcement, Assignment, Page, etc.): You may see one or more embedded videos that you can watch and playback.
- Echo360 tab (Canvas course menu): You will be directed to the home page of Echo360 (Classes list page) and all content your instructor has made available to view.
- Echo360 Collection (shared media outside of Canvas): If your instructor has shared a collection of media with you, go to echo360.org and login with your SVSU email and password (it is not synced with your SVSU network password). You will need to set a password if its your first time, you can reset it here.
Accessing Embedded Media in Canvas
Your instructor may embed a video in Canvas, you could find them embedded in a Module, (Announcement, Assignment, Page, etc.). You could see the embedded player or a link to access the video recording, which opens in a new tab in your browser.
Viewing Embedded Media in Canvas
When you click play on the video or open a link (opens in a new tab in your browser) the recording plays like any other video on the web, you can restart and watch as needed. You may see it within an (Announcement, Assignment, Page, etc.), Your instructor may use the Discussion tool to discuss the lecture topic. Learn more about the Echo360 player and its features.
Sample of Echo360 embedded video in Canvas
Transcripts and Closed Captions. Echo360 is compliant and provides a transcript and captions (
if you don't see it request it from your instructor), if a video has a transcript you will see a document icon in the overlay of the video player, if you need Closed Captions (CC) click the CC button, see this article "
Turning on Closed Captions".
How do I View or Participate in Discussion in the Embedded Player
Click the Discussion link, you can participate in discussion related to the lecture topic or ask a question publicly or anonymously. View article: View or Participate in Discussion in the Embedded Player
Accessing Echo360 (Canvas course navigation)
Access Echo360 in the course navigation in Canvas, the location of the Echo360 tab will depend on your instructor. The Classes List page displays all content your instructor has made available for your class (icons defined below) and a Course toolbar (right of your screen.)
Understanding the Media Icons on the Class list page
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Raspberry media icon: There is a media published and it has not been opened.
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Black media icon: The media has been opened at least once (it does not indicate that its been watched.)
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Raspberry lightning icon: There is video with polling questions available.
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Raspberry presentation icon: There is a Presentation and it hasn't been opened.
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Black presentation icon: There is a Presentation and it has been opened.
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Raspberry LIVE badge: The class is happening now.
Note: If you see a gray badge it indicates a future class is scheduled with Live Stream.
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Navigating the Course
Classes - the list of lectures and presentations in a course. A sample of the Classes List page is shown below, to open the class, click to enter the virtual classroom. View article: OverView of the Student Classes list page (access, navigate, and search).
No icon: Displays class name, your instructor has not made content available.
Important Note: If you open a class title with no media icon, you will receive the message,
"Looks like no content has been added to this class yet." This is normal because your instructor has not made it available for your to access.
EchoVideo: Virtual Classroom Provides Tools to Learn More Effectively and Efficiently
- Q&A - Access all the discussion posts entered both in the classes and General questions posted about the course.
IMPORTANT NOTE about Q&A: If you do not see a Q&A tab, your instructor may not have it enabled in the course. Q&A can also be temporarily disabled by an instructor, to reduce student chatter during classes. Any entries you may have made are still there, and once re-enabled, you will see them again.
- Study Guide - Access all notes taken in the course from the Study Guide tab.
- Search - allows for searching for items across the entire course, including classes, videos, presentations. notes entries, and Q&A/discussion posts.
Viewing Media in the Echo360 Classroom Player
The virtual classroom (Echo360 Classroom Player) might look something like this. You can see this class has a video lecture, a presentation slide (polling), and the instructor. The Classroom player plays like a normal video and will remember where you left off if you exit the class. You can change the layout of the content or view the class media in full screen. Learn more about using the Classroom player.
Classroom Tools: Notes, Q&A, Bookmarks, & Flag icons
How do I Use the Classroom Toolbar?
When you are viewing classroom media, you can ask questions, participate in discussions and polling activities, take notes during a lecture, bookmark or flag video or slide locations for future review, and exit a class and enter another class.
Learn more: "Echo360 Student Guide Classroom Toolbar."
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The Classroom toolbar (top-right of your screen) allows students to:
- Take Notes tool during a lecture
- Participate in Discussion
- Ask a Question publicly or anonymously to the class discussion.
- Bookmark parts of the lecture to review later.
- Flag content that is confusing.
- All Notes and bookmarks are timestamped and appear in your Study Guide.
- View other classes published to your course without existing the virtual classroom.
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How do I Turn on Closed Captions?
Students can turn on closed captions and choose how they want to view media. Click the CC icon (bottom-right) in the Classroom player. NOTE: If the CC icon is greyed out, reach out to your instructor to have them turn it on.
How do I join a Live class?
As a reminder, ensure to use a supported browser (most recent version), Firefox (recommended) and Google Chrome for best experience. DO NOT use Safari or Internet Explorer they do not function well with streaming media or participating in polling questions. See our section on
Supported Browsers.
Access a Live Class
- If you are not on the Class List page in Echo360, open your Canvas course then click the Echo360 tab in the left navigation menu in Canvas.
- You will see list of all your classes if its being offered Live, you will see a LIVE badge next to the class name.
- Click the class row to enter the virtual classroom.
If the LIVE badge is grey, the class has not started yet. However, you can still open the upcoming class. You will see a countdown timer (bottom-left) of the player.
How do I view the Live Class?
Click Show Live Stream (bottom-left corner) to view the Live Stream.
Note: Live stream recordings will not autoplay. They also cannot be rewound/fast-forwarded as the class is happening in real-time.
Watching a live class cannot be rewound/fast-forwarded, it's real-time. If you find the Live Stream becomes out of sync due to your network connection, the Live Stream will provide a "catch up button" and you will be able to view playback. See Echo360 article Viewing Live Streamed Classes.
How do I see who is Attending the Live Class?
At the top-right, you will see a Live Attendance button (two-person icon) that displays the number of participants actively viewing the LIVE class, click the button to see who is watching.
Viewing a Live Stream or Previously Recorded Video
The Classroom player has various options for controlling your video at the bottom such as variable speed playback allowing you to speed up or slow down the video, you can also view the video or presentation in full screen, change the layout of the content presented, and more; learn about the Echo360 Classroom Player.
Your instructor may be use the Classroom toolbar (upper-right of the Classroom player) during a Live Stream Class or for recorded videos; the different icons allow you to interact with your peers, instructor, or the media being presented; learn more about the Classroom Tools in the next section.
How Students Respond to Polling Questions in a Presentation Slide
Supported browser(s): Firefox (recommended) and Google Chrome (latest versions). Safari and IE are unreliable when it comes to video playback and participating in polls.
Presentation slides are seen inside of an Echo360 Classroom player, your instructor may embed polling questions inside of them to assess your learning. There are two steps to responding to a poll, you must select the correct answer(s) or type in your response, then click the blue Submit button, or it will not be recorded. Your answers can be edited until your instructor closes the poll. Learn how to respond and submit your answer to polling questions in a presentation slide
How Students Respond to Embedded Polls in a Video
Useful tips about videos with embedded polls.
- Accessing Echo360 content. Content is best viewed in Firefox (recommended) and Google Chrome (latest versions).
- Viewing a video with embedding polling. Plays like a normal video but prohibits viewing until the polling question(s) have been responded to. You can only answer the poll once.
- Poll markers. The video will play until the first poll marker, prompting the student to respond to the poll before they can continue watching.
- Responding to an embedded Poll. When there is a video with a embedded poll, we recommend to open the Embedded player in full screen.
- Submissions cannot be edited. Once your answer is submitted, your answers are locked and cannot be changed. Learn how students respond to a polling question in a video.
How do I Create a Study Guide?
Any notes you have taken inside of the classroom player and bookmarks you have made will allow you to create a study guide. You can even download a text version of your notes which includes timestamps corresponding to the class session, and more. View Echo360's support article's on taking notes and using the Study Guide:
How does my Instructor Grade Online Participation with Echo360?
Echo360 does track the classes you watch and participate in. It would depend on your instructor how they grade your participation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It is very important that you click the blue SUBMIT button when participating in polls in Echo360, or your response will not be recorded.
You must use supported browser(s): Firefox (recommended) or Google Chrome.
Some instructors may grade based on the following metrics:
- Attendance: Whether you opened a class session during the specified day and time.
- Video and Presentation Views: The lecture recording was viewed in its entirety or you've clicked through the slide presentation. You can pause at any time, Echo360 will remember where you left off.
- Q&A: Questions can be asked during a class session or you can reply to the class discussions. Questions you post can be public or anonymous to the entire class.
- Notes: The built-in note-taking feature allows you to take notes, they are time stamped. Notes can be downloaded in a text version (time-stamps are included).
- Activities: Slide presentations may include activities (embedded quiz questions) that you need to participate in such as multiple-choice, ordered list, short answer, image quiz, and numerical value. They may even provide you an external video to watch right in Echo360.