Echo360 Launches Transcript Editor

Echo360, a video platform provider for higher education, has launched an integrated transcript editor that allows users to edit machine-generated transcripts to make video more searchable and navigable. Edited transcripts can also be published as closed captions.

After Echo360 transcribes a video using automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology, authorized faculty, administrators, and students can access and edit the transcript for accuracy. Echo360 highlights specific words or entire transcripts that fall below a user-definable confidence score threshold.

Once reviewed and approved, compliant transcripts can be published into the Echo360 Closed Caption track for presentation during video playback. The system tracks all edits by each user, ensuring that any conflicting edits can be reconciled or reversed, if needed.

"Echo360's mission has always been to create classrooms and learning environments that are more engaging and accessible to all students. As many faculty members are teaching online for the first time, we're focused on smoothing the transition and ensuring that all students are able to learn remotely," said Fred Singer founder and CEO of Echo360, in a statement. "With closed captions, some students will be able to engage with video learning for the first time, and all students will benefit from accurate transcripts and video learning that is increasingly accessible."

"Creating closed captions is a crucial, but challenging, process. Even with accurate transcripts, our team still needed to manage different file types and toggle between multiple windows to edit these transcripts into fully compliant captions," said Katie Skapin, instructional technologist at Case Western Reserve University, in a statement. "With the transcript editor, we can now create transcripts and convert them into captions all within the Echo360 platform, saving our team time and frustration."