Academic Support - Library and Learning Support

Lecture Capture: Echo 360

Page contents

How Echo 360 Works
Schedule your lecture for capture
What are the Benefits of this Technology?
Issues to Address
Further Information
Lecture Capture Request Form
Related Links

How Echo 360 Works

The Echo360 system automatically captures and publishes lectures, providing an on-demand service for students. This system captures lectures in real time digitally, using video and /or audio.

The Echo360 system integrates with existing technologies and, lecturers are not required to do anything in order to have their lectures captured. At the end of the lecture, the recording is automatically remotely stored and a link to the recording is made almost in chronological order within the appropriate unit in myBU, and an announcement made to students.

Students can watch the synchronised recorded lecture including PowerPoint slides and movie clips as frequently as they like and choose whether they watch using high or low speed connection and whether they view lectures using their MP3 players, MP4 players, laptops or desktop PCs.

For maximum student benefit, specific portions of the lectures can be found using a slide index as recordings are automatically divided at roughly the point of each slide change.

Online demonstration and case studies for Echo 360 available at: www.echo360.com/showcase/

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Schedule your lecture for capture

As a part of the lecture capture pilot project at Bournemouth University, lecture capture is available for booking at the locations listed below. If you have lectures scheduled at any of these locations you can request for your lectures to be captured. You may also book PG30d studio if you wish to pre-record a lecture or presentation.

Lecture theatre: Allesbrook, Talbot Campus
Lecture theatre: Lee, Talbot Campus
Lecture theatre: Wollstonecraft, Bournemouth Campus
Studio: PG30d, Talbot Campus

Request lecture capture >>

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What are the Benefits of this Technology?

The benefits are multiple. Firstly, this technology is clearly advantageous to those students who are unable to attend lectures because of illness or work or who are distance learners, as they still gain the benefit of viewing the lecture.

Secondly, students can re-listen to portions of lectures in order clarify complex points whenever and wherever they like, providing convenient, on-demand education.

Thirdly, students no longer need to make as many notes while in lectures, enabling them to listen more effectively. This offers greater opportunities to students who learn better visually and aurally or who may have additional learning needs such as dyslexia and thereby generates greater inclusivity.

Fourthly, it has been reported that students experience higher satisfaction on courses which use audio recordings to accompany course material than those which do not.

Lastly, research has suggested that recording lectures can be effective in developing collaborative learning and social networking, as the outcomes can be shared across academic communities.

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Issues to Address

Several concerns about this technology have been raised. The first relates to rising absenteeism. Academic staff are often concerned that using lecture capture software will cause a rise in student absenteeism. Several pieces of research and testimonials from institutions using lecture capture software report that this is not the case and that students enjoy the sense of community they feel when attending lectures.

There have also been concerns raised about privacy; however Echo360 enables its video function to be turned off in order to just capture audio for academics who may feel more comfortable with this. Additionally, microphones can be switched off during the lecture when making comments.

Finally, the issue of copyright has been raised. To address this, a disclaimer is currently being produced which will feature at the beginning of all captured lectures, which will address copyright issues of material shown during lectures.

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Further Information

An evaluative study of Echo360 at BU is currently being undertaken to assess the impact of this technology on learning and teaching. More details will be given later in the year.

Further information on this software and a demonstration can be found on the Echo 360 webpages.

As an introduction to Lecture Capture view the Introduction to Lecture Capture (pdf, 179kb). Additionally, before starting lecture capture you may find the Lecture Capture Tip List (pdf, 68kb) of use.

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