Pace University is thrilled to feature our new pilot program called Echo360! Echo360 is a lecture capture solution designed for students on the go, enabling you to watch/hear any class on your personal computer. We are currently testing it on all three campuses, and hoping to promote it campus-wide by the end of this year.
The Nursing Department has been cooperating with ITS and CTLT on the Pleasantville campus by capturing some of their classes. The program has so far generated an enormous amount of positive feedback, and the Nursing students are just as excited as we are to be testing this program.
What is Echo360?
Have you ever wanted to see or hear part of your class again? What about the whole thing? With Echo360, you can relive the entire classroom experience! Hear your professor’s lecture—word for word, see their computer screen—every image, slide, and video, all from your own computer! The professor’s voice, video and computer presentations are captured simultaneously for a true “rewinding” experience.
How can this program help me?
As a Pace University student, you can use Echo360 as a “lecture-on-demand” service, and view any lecture at any time—and any place. If you miss class, lose your notes, or need to study for a test, Echo360 is available for use on your own schedule, at your own pace.
How do I use it?
Every lecture capture will be automatically uploaded to your course’s Blackboard page; listed under Course Documents. Within an hour following the end of class, the lecture will be processed and accessible as podcasts, video and rich media files. You can download the lecture to your computer or just watch it straight from your browser. In order to view it in your browser, you must have Flash player installed (You can download it by clicking here).
Echo360 has the capability to capture from multiple sources—including a computer, microphone, and even a video camera feed. You can view a lecture from Professor Berro of the Nursing Department by visiting the following link:
http://echoess.dmz.pace.edu:8080/ess/echo/presentation/59795904-8c8c-4dfc-a535-8446553fff55
The responses so far from her students have been extremely positive. Trisha Moricette, a Junior in Professor Berro’s NUR 317A Pharmacology course states:
“It’s very helpful! Most classes are three hours long and this program lets you go back and catch things that you might have missed. Not only hearing the audio, but also being able to see what she is referring to on the actual slides is great!”
Will this work on my computer?
Yes, all Echo360 captures are compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. If you want to download a capture, you can save it as a standard video, rich media, or audio file. You can even view or hear the lecture on your iPod/MP3 player!
Where is Echo360 being used?
Professors can use Echo360 with their own personal laptops, or they can use a technology-enhanced classroom such as Lienhard Lecture Hall. Lienhard Lecture Hall has been equipped with an Echo360 “Capture Appliance”, which is used to capture lecture materials and combine them into one package. The appliance requires absolutely no setup on the professor’s end. All courses are scheduled at the beginning of the semester, and subsequent captures are automatically started at the beginning of every class.
We envision using Echo360 to capture classes in every department, and in time utilizing more locations with “Capture Appliance” for the ultimate “playback” experience!
I have some feedback/more questions.
If you are a faculty or student who has had an opportunity to be a part of this pilot program, we would love to hear your experience.
For more information, you can contact Educational Media for the following locations:
New York – nyem@pace.edu
Pleasantville – plvem@pace.edu
White Plains – wpem@pace.edu
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