Echo360 Makes it Easier for College Students to Watch Class Video and Engage in Learning on their Smartphones
MBA Blog / 4th October 2017
Higher education’s leading video platform, Echo360, has announced four new features for its mobile app designed to help faculty and institutional leaders better engage students increasingly dependent on smartphones as learning devices. Together, the new features allow students to engage in video learning without draining their battery and data, view course content with captions for those with hearing impairment, and listen to and engage with course content while on the go.
Recent surveys note the growing use of smartphones on campus for learning purposes. 78% of students with a smartphone report using mobile devices in at least one of their courses and that smartphones are only second to laptops as the most popular device used for learning. Further, many students do not have access to laptops or tablets and rely on their smartphones as their only learning technology – increasing the need for mobile-optimized learning tools that ensure equitable access to learning for all students.
“With the proliferation of mobile, colleges and universities have an exciting opportunity to create mobile-friendly learning experiences that can serve students, regardless of device or location,” said Bill Holding, Executive Vice President of Product at Echo360. “Both working adults and our newest generation of college students expect to have their course content at their fingertips. These new features are designed to help institutions better support students who increasingly depend on their smartphone to succeed.”
Echo360’s new mobile features, which give students access to mobile active learning tools and video viewing options, include:
- Interactive Q&A: While viewing video content on their mobile devices, students can now participate in peer-to-peer learning and discuss topics, as well as ask and answer questions, with their peers. Instructors can also participate in the discussion, bringing guided class discussion outside of the classroom and helping students learn from each other wherever they are.
- Closed Captioning: Students can choose to view video content with captions, expanding mobile access to video content to students with hearing impairment, while also providing all students with a way to view class video with the volume off so that they can study in public places.
- Background Mode: Responding to a frequent student suggestion, Echo360’s mobile app will now include a background mode, which will allow students to listen to lecture audio while their phone screen is locked. Today’s students are increasingly busy and on the go and this feature allows them to review course content during their commute or even at the gym, while also conserving their device’s battery and data.
- Secure Offline Viewing: Now students can download securely encrypted copies of video content while they have a good internet connection and then watch it anywhere. Encrypted downloads prevent sharing sensitive content with unauthorized viewers, but ensure that students that do not have reliable access to high speed internet still have the opportunity to review course content – a crucial step in maintaining equality in the classroom.
