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NEW!Echo360: Automatic Closed Captioning and Transcripts

Summary

Echo360 video uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to automatically generate text transcripts and closed captions (CC) for all media uploaded or recorded to the platform. This feature ensures digital course content is accessible to all students right away, with no extra steps required from instructors!

How it Works

  • Automatic Processing: When you publish a lecture capture or upload a video via Moodle, Echo360 processes the audio file in the background to build a time-synced transcript.
  • Auto-Generated Captions: If the system detects clear audio, it will automatically push that transcript onto the video's active Closed Caption (CC) track.
  • Processing Time: While shorter videos process within minutes, full-length lecture recordings may take up to a few hours after uploading.

How to Edit Transcripts and Captions via Moodle

Because the text is machine-generated, technical jargon, proper nouns, and acronyms may sometimes contain errors but instructors can easily fix these mistakes using the built-in editor:
Step 1: Access the Video Details
  1. Go to your Moodle course site and click on your Echo360 block or activity link.
  2. Locate the specific recording or media tile you wish to edit.
  3. Click on the video title or click the three dots (...) menu on the media tile, then select Details.
[Screenshot Placeholder 1]: A view of a Moodle course page highlighting the Echo360 block/link, followed by a close-up of an Echo360 media tile with the three-dots menu expanded, highlighting the "Details" or "Edit Transcript" option.

Step 2: Open the Transcript Editor

  1. On the media details page, click the Accessibility tab under the video window.
  2. Next to the Transcripts row, click the three dots (...) icon and select Edit Transcript.
    (Note: If the automated transcript is still processing, the entry will read "Add" instead).     [1, 2]
[Screenshot Placeholder 2]: The Echo360 Media Details screen showing the "Accessibility" tab selected, pointing an arrow toward the three dots next to the Transcript entry and highlighting "Edit Transcript."
Step 3: Modify the Text and Update Captions
  1. When the Transcript Editor opens, you will see a video playback panel on the left and the time-synced text cues on the right.
  2. Click the Edit Transcript button along the top menu to enter editing mode.
  3. Click directly into any text cue box to type your corrections using your keyboard.
  4. When finished, click Save as New Version in the upper-right corner to save your changes.
  5. Click Apply to CC to push your updated text directly to the on-screen closed captions track. [1, 2, 3, 4]
[Screenshot Placeholder 3]: The inside of the Echo360 Transcript Editor interface. Highlight the "Edit Transcript" button at the top, a sample text cue box being edited, and the "Save as New Version" and "Apply to CC" buttons in the top right corner.


Best practices for high-quality captions
To help the automated system achieve the highest accuracy, we recommend using a high-quality external microphone, minimizing background noise, and speaking clearly during your recordings.
  • Pause briefly before speaking if you are moving away from the podium.
  • Minimize environmental background sound like loud fans or office chatter.
If you have any questions or need assistance accessing your video transcript editor, contact the HelpDesk.

Formerly and Currently

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Another new tool in Echo360! See the Echo360 Support document for Study Aids

Seek Further Assistance


For additional assistance please contact, Clarkson OIT Help Desk;

Online: Get Help
Email: helpdesk@clarkson.edu
Call: 315-268-HELP (x4357)

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