Echo360 announced today that it has acquired LectureTools, Inc., a learning technology company that enables professors to make their teaching more interactive. Founded by a professor from the University of Michigan, LectureTools provides professors with an authentic and easy-to-use solution that enhances lectures with digital content, provides real-time feedback from students, measures learning and facilitates online collaboration. The LectureTools system will be seamlessly integrated with the award-winning Echo360 lecture capture and blended learning platform to provide a unique option for institutions seeking to immediately improve and extend their on-campus experience.
“There are over 20,000 universities and colleges globally serving 100 million degree seeking students every year,” said Echo360 CEO Fred Singer. “These institutions face technology chaos right now. They need solutions and partners that help them immediately improve the on-campus teaching experience while they continue to aggressively experiment with professors, administration and students on the latest methods in distance and social learning. Echo360 with LectureTools now helps institutions deliver these approaches including flipped classes, virtual office hours, live distance learning, academic continuity, and even experiment with MOOCs. They can choose what is right for their needs.”
The Echo360 Active Learning Platform introduces new teaching and learning opportunities before, during and after traditional class time. Instructors can create and share lecture videos for students to watch before class. During class, professors can broadcast live lectures, answer questions, conduct polling and integrate student response capabilities into presentations. Students have the freedom to ask confidential questions or participate in a digital Q&A. Classroom recordings are available after class on laptops and mobile devices. The student’s personal notes are synced with the lecture on a computer or via the LectureTools app for the Apple® iPad™, resulting in improved study time efficiency. The professor manages the entire experience with automated dashboards that track participation and aggregate student activities, providing a comprehensive view of student performance.
LectureTools was created by educator Dr. Perry Samson, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Michigan, to improve teaching and learning experiences through technology. Independent studies from the University of Michigan Center for Research in Learning and Teaching validated this approach, finding that students in courses using LectureTools demonstrate much higher levels of engagement than in those without the technology. Dr. Samson will continue teaching at University of Michigan while serving as Head of Teaching Innovation at Echo360.
“LectureTools was founded on the principle that boosting interaction in the classroom will positively impact the student and professor,” said Dr. Perry Samson. “Our vision of providing pedagogically sound digital teaching tools has been realized, and now it is time to share the benefits with more institutions. By joining Echo360, we can deliver the benefits of LectureTools solution to more than one million students attending 500 universities, in 30 countries around the globe quickly and easily.”
Echo360 was founded to serve the 100 million students globally who pursue degrees in universities and colleges worldwide. Echo360 recognizes the unique power of extending the on campus experiences and partners with educational institutions to leverage the latest technologies to further support and enhance the teaching and learning process in a cost effective manner.
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About Echo360
More than one million students in 6,000 classrooms at 500 institutions across 30 countries rely on Echo360 solutions to enhance their educational experience. Using the Echo360 Active Learning Platform, students participate more frequently, study more effectively, and collaborate more often before, during and after class. Echo360 partners with institutions to create active classrooms that improve learning outcomes and increase student satisfaction in flipped classrooms, distance learning courses and MOOCs. The global company has been recognized with a Product Line Strategy of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan and is CSIA-certified for outstanding customer service. Dell, Inc. is a certified reseller of Echo360 products in the USA and Canada. Echo360 is backed by Revolution Growth, led by Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Donn Davis.
