EchoSystem 5.1 Adds Live Webcasting
Echo360 has released an update to its flagship lecture capture platform, EchoSystem. The new release, EchoSystem version 5.1, adds support for live webcasting and incorporates new student study tools.
Echo360's EchoSystem captures lectures automatically and encodes them into a variety of formats for distribution across multiple media, including podcasts, rich media formats, and streaming video. It's compatible with classroom presentation tools, such as whiteboards, tablet PCs, and document cameras, and it supports learning management systems like Blackboard Learn. It also allows users to publish to a variety of outlets, including Apple's iTunes U. It runs on desktop computers or on a dedicated appliance. According to Echo360, it's in use in more than 6,000 courses at more than 500 institutions worldwide.
EchoSystem 5.1, which debuted at the BbWorld 2012 conference in New Orleans last week, includes support for live webcasting, allowing faculty members to stream and record presentations--including audio, video, and rich media--simultaneously and in real time.
Other new features in version 5.1 include:
- Integrated chat tools;
- Integrated support for Google Analytics for monitoring student viewing behaviors; and
- A new EchoCenter dashboard designed to help students and faculty find their course materials more readily and launch directly into live webcasts.
EchoSystem 5.1 is available now. Additional details can be found on Echo360's site.