Echo360 Help - Main Page

Coming Q1 2023 to Echo360Video: Updated video player with engagement tools, navigate to the content easier with video chapters (optional), new admin content notifications with more coming in Q2 for instructors, and more. 

Overview

Echo360 is a video hosting platform that allows you to capture your lectures in a classroom, at home or your office with Echo360 Universal Capture, record with Browser Capture from any computer, or through Teams or Zoom video integration. Instructors have the ability to edit media before publishing videos to Canvas with a variety of ways to share the media with students in Canvas. Instructors can control the availability of student access (if desired). Echo360 includes a content management system where you can access all media and courses, and view student analytics. The system promotes active learning in a variety of ways whether you are teaching synchronously or asynchronously.

**Echo360 has the capability to integrate your videos from Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Zoom.

What is Echo360?

Echo360 provides the ability to record in a classroom, create personal lectures, or upload media from other platforms, all media is stored in your personal cloud library. If you are using your videos in a future semester, SVSU requires videos to be transcribed. You can share videos with other instructors using Collections. Echo360 provides integrated active learning tools that foster student engagement and learning. All usage (video or polling) analytics are available to view in your library or your course. Echo360 has video integration with three supported tools for synchronous learning at no cost to faculty: Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Zoom (pro account only).  

Why Echo360?

Using Echo360 in your teaching accommodates all students, increases student retention, decreases failure rates, and fosters student engagement. Microsoft and Zoom (pro account) have video integration with Echo360. No manual downloading or uploading of your videos they can sync to your Echo360 library where you can edit the media and view video analytics.

Inclusive Teaching Using Video

Students Improve their Learning Experience with Video

Echo360 Accessibility: Automatic Speech Recognition

Echo360 provides Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) transcription. ASR can be requested for your courses or for specific media. If you are reusing videos in future terms, it is necessary that your content is transcribed and is compliant for all learners. Read more about compliance below.

Get Started with Echo360 

If you are new and you are reading this, you will need a user account and training, attend our introduction workshop and Get started with Echo360. After you attend the introductory workshop, review the support for instructors links below, if you need help please reach out to support@svsu.edu

Support for Instructors

Help Guides:

Watch how-to videos, interact in self-paced tutorials, and watch how other universities are using Echo360 in their teaching.

• Echo360: Instructor FAQs (a compiled list of Q&A)
• ​​Echo360: Instructor How-to Videos (watch short mini-lessons)
• Echo360: Use Case Videos  (suggestive methods)
• Echo360: Self-paced Tutorials (quick guides), sample image below of the main page.

Workshops (SVSU ITD)

• Check out the What's New and coming to Echo360 and stay up to date on the latest enhancements.
• Sign up for additional workshops at svsu.edu/workshops 

Support for Students

Help Guides

Live Stream classes or recordings are accessed through Canvas either by viewing on the Classes list page (Echo360 course/Active Learning Platform) or videos can be watched embedded in Canvas. View our student help guides below, and share them with your students, it's a great overview for freshmen or those new to Echo360.

• Echo360 Student Guide (overview how to access echo360 and how it works) 
• Echo360 Student Guide: Classroom Player (overview of the classroom player in a course) 
• Echo360 Student Guide: Classroom Toolbar (overview of the classroom toolbar) 

Request an Echo360 Course

Each semester if you intend to use Echo360 record in the classroom/Live Stream, or foster student engagement utilizing the *Active Learning Platform (ALP) you need to request an Echo360 course. You DO NOT need to fill out the form if you are embedding your videos in Canvas; your media resides in Echo360, you only need an Echo360 account. 

Accessing Echo360 and Supported Browsers

Log into Echo360

You can access Echo360 and manage your media using two methods:

• Echo360: Visit echo360.org log in with your SVSU email address and password (not your SVSU network password). If you forget your password, reset it here.
• Canvas: Log into Canvas, then open your course, click Echo360 in Canvas's course navigation. 

Echo360 Supported Browsers

As a reminder, Firefox and Chrome are needed for Echo360 to work correctly. However, for the best experience, Firefox is the recommended browser for viewing and streaming Echo360 recordings.

Different Ways to Record Content with Echo360 

Echo360 allows you to record content in the classroom and on your computer. Lectures can be recorded inside a classroom, in our recording studio, (Lightboard or Surface Studio), or outside of the classroom (on your computer). If you have recorded lectures using another system, you can upload them to Echo360 on your computer or use the Echo360 mobile app.

Record personal lectures on your computer

Create personal lectures or supplemental lessons on your computer (university or personal) from your office or at home. Launch one of the recording apps from the blue Create button in Echo360.

• Click "New Capture - "​​​​​Record with Echo360’s Universal Capture: Personal" free software that can be installed onto university or personal PCs (Mac or Windows 10). You can create a Live Stream or record offline. 
• Click "New Browser Capture -  "​​​​​Record with Browser Capture" no software needed, record online on any computer, record your screen, an application window, or your browser tab. Its available from the Create button once you log into Echo360. Browser Capture will only work when you are connected to the Internet.

Classroom Recordings and Live Stream

Teach as normal in your classroom just turn the system on, prepare your screen, and or documents, and teach. Depending on the room your teaching in; the device instructions will vary, we have over 60+ Echo360 Appliances (Pod or Pro) installed on campus, most rooms have Classroom Capture software installed in the podium, View our Classroom Installed Technology page.

Classroom Recording Best Practices 

• Don't have multiple applications open, clean up your desktop.
• The following list suggests best practices for classroom recordings.
• Before class ensure the microphone is plugged in and is facing toward you (insert picture). 
• To ensure student questions are captured during class, repeat the questions so they are clearly recorded. 
• Do not view private emails, student grades, etc. on the podium computer, the system will record your screen. 
• Do not unplug the microphone and avoid private conversations with students before, during, and after class at the podium, it may be recorded. If this type of conversation is needed, do it elsewhere for privacy reasons. 
• Recording in a room without an Echo360 Appliance (a room without a camera)?
  • Ensure that the podium computer is turned on, logged into, and kept on throughout the class. 
  • After class keep the computer on (you can log off) to allow the recording to upload to the Echo360 server. 

Managing and Deleting Your Media

Media that you own or content shared with you will always be found on the Library tab, you will always see two panels for your content Collections (top) and Media (bottom). There are multiple ways to manage media in Echo360 before sharing it. Videos can be shared directly to Canvas or with other instructors outside of an Echo360 course, additionally, content can be added to a Collection that can be shared with others; where you can set permissions on what each member is allowed to do.

Each media piece provides a thumbnail preview and can be edited with various commands (e.g., Share, Edit Media, Edit Transcript, Add/Edit a Poll, Edit Details, Make a Copy, Download, Delete), please see the note below on deleting Echo360 content.

Deleting Echo360 Content

* Note: When you click "Delete" in your Library or the trash icon in a Course Class, there is a message box that advises you of the deletion, this is the last step before the content is removed. If you are sure you do not need the media, click OK to delete the media, (see sample image below).

• Deleting media from your Library: If you delete media from your Library it is deleted from Echo360, it is permanent! SVSU ITS cannot restore it. Always be cautious before deleting a video from your Library, be sure you no longer need it as the video is removed from all published locations, meaning anywhere its embedded or published classes in an Echo360 course. NOTE: If the media you are trying to delete is from a scheduled capture, you won't be able to delete the media. If that is the case then you will need to rename the media with delete in the title. Click Edit Details to rename your video.
• Removing media from a Course Class: If you remove media, (e.g., video, presentation, video with polls (interactive media)) from a class it is simply removing the student's ability to access the content. The media is removed from the class along with the associated analytics, it is not from removed from your Library. 

* Note: Scheduled captures will NOT be able to be deleted by the instructor. If you need media deleted that you no longer need, please submit an ITS support ticket and provide the video titles or previous course(s) you'd like media deleted from. 

Learn more about managing your media in Echo360 in a dedicated workshop register at svsu.edu/workshops

Edit Your Video or Transcript in Echo360

Edit your video or transcript without the need of downloading software, edits made can always be restored, and if you need to share editing rights with other instructors, you can create a Collection of media and set other permissions for what they are allowed to do with your media.

• Video Editor: Works in your browser, allowing you to trim out video content, or chunk down longer videos to smaller segments, combine videos, and add custom thumbnails. View our video editor quick reference guide.
  • Cut, trim, and combine videos
  • Add a custom thumbnail for your video
  • Self-paced video editor tutorial (the newest enhancements are not in this tutorial).
     
• Transcript Editor: Edit your video transcript for accuracy
  • Edit your transcript or apply Closed Captioning
  • Self-paced transcript editor tutorial

Sharing and Publishing Your Media in Canvas

There are different ways you can share (publish) content to Canvas. Students can access your media whether you are embedding media in Canvas using the Echo360 media embed button inside of the Rich Content Editor (look for a plug-shaped icon in the toolbar) or sharing media directly from your library and publishing to an Echo360 course. View the difference in the video players. Both methods do not take up the Canvas course storage because your videos are stored in your Echo360 Library. 

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)

Accessibility Compliance at SVSU. Echo360's Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) makes it easy to ensure the videos being reused are more accommodating to students. ASR creates a transcript from the audio in the video. The instructor is responsible for reviewing and editing the transcript to ensure it meets ADA Compliance for all users. Students can read along while watching the video, or search the transcript and be taken to the exact location they want to review. The transcript supports screen readers, and closed captioning can be enabled. 

See the example image of viewing a transcript as a student.

Engagement and Analytics

There are two methods of enhancing student engagement with Echo360 for synchronous or asynchronous classes. You can increase student learning by embedding polls in a video or using the Active Learning Platform (ALP) and its Classroom Tools. The ALP allows students to view the content (video, presentation, interactive media) as needed, and instructors can see student participation on who may, or may not be engaged. Learn the different methods on how you can engage students and view their participation (video views and polling responses). 

Embedded Polling (create an interactive poll or quiz)

Embedded Polling in a video (recommended for asynchronous teaching) is a great way to check for student learning. Embedded Polling (interactive media) gate the media students are viewing, they are required to submit their answers before they can continue to watch. There are various question types you can add. Polls can be created new or reused, they store in your Library. There are two different methods of sharing interactive media with students: 

• Embed videos with polls in a Canvas Content window
• Add a video with polls to an Echo360 Course (Class)

Active Learning Platform (ALP)

An Echo360 course (Active Learning Platform) can be used for scheduled/Live Stream or non-scheduled classes. Having an Echo360 course, allows you to share videos (e.g., scheduled or personal recordings) from your library with students. They can be shared automatically from a scheduled class or added manually (see the blue call-out box below).

The ALP provides other ways to share content with students such as interactive media (videos with polls), or presentations. Along with various ways to engage your students and ensure participation. Instructors can use the Classroom Tools where students can interact with class media, ask questions, participate in Discussion, and respond to polls. The functionality of the Classroom Tools differs slightly for instructors and students, view an image of the Classroom Toolbar, and learn how to navigate Echo360's Classroom and its player controls.

Some of the common questions we get asked are provided below. In an Echo360 course, you can:

• Control the availability of your course content (e.g., videos, interactive media, or presentations).
• Use the Classroom Tools to engage student participation and learning.
• Add polling slides to a presentation (PowerPoint/PDF) use them in a Live Class so students can participate remotely.
• View/manage a Live Stream class before, during, and after class.

Echo360 FAQs at SVSU

View a compilation of frequently asked questions from helpful tips, solutions, and more.

Need Echo360 Help?

Keep up-to-date with Echo360, see Features and Updates for Instructors. Quickly access all our Echo360 Help requests, click the button below.