Category: Technology

Using Microsoft Whiteboard in your classes

​What is it?

If you have used the whiteboard function in Zoom or Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, you are familiar with what on online whiteboard does in general. It is a place where you can draw, type, and sometimes post things. With Microsoft Whiteboard, you can create draw in different colour pens, use a yellow highlighter, type, post different coloured sticky notes, and draw different arrows and geometric shapes. This board can be shared with others who can collaborate on it at the same time or asynchronously. 

Why would I use it?

  1. Unlike the Zoom or BBCU whiteboard, the whiteboard you create in Microsoft Whiteboard stays active even when you close the breakout room or online course room. This makes it especially useful when reviewing group work after you come back to the main room. It also keeps an archive for posting to your course site. It is great place for students to brainstorm ideas or create their ideas in a collaborate space.
  2. Unlike other options, Microsoft Whiteboard is already part of the Office 365 account you and your students have with Douglas College. This means you do not need to get student consent and you won’t be breaking any privacy rules by using it. 
  3. There are some great apps for Windows 10 and tablets/phones, but you can also just use the online version as well.

How do I use it?

  1. You have two options for finding it.
    1. Log into your Douglas College Office 365 account and click on All Apps in the bottom-left corner. You will find a list of all of the apps you have access to. Click on Whiteboard to get started.
    2. You can also just go directly to https://whiteboard.microsoft.com/ and log in with your DC account and password.
  2. Click on Create new Whiteboard to start.
  3. To share an open whiteboard, click on the blue button in the top-right corner and click on Share link off to switch it to Share link on. Click on Copy Link to copy the link to that whiteboard. Anyone with the link that has a DC account can now use that whiteboard.

Is there a video I can watch on how to use it?

Yes. I created this video several months back, so there have been some updates since then. Overall, it should give you a few ideas on how to use it.

How would I use it with my students?

  1. Give each breakout room a different whiteboard to work on. They could either create their own or you could create it ahead of time and share it with them. Students brainstorm ideas and share it as mind map, columns, or any other way they want.
  2. Create a space for students to introduce themselves at the start of the semester. Each student posts a sticky note that answers a question you give them.
  3. Use it in the main room during a synchronous session and have students answer questions directly on the whiteboard.
  4. Use it like you would a physical whiteboard in a face-to-face class, but now you can archive what you did for students to review after class.

​I hope you have a great week!

Have you seen the LIGHT(board)?

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. ~Edith Wharton.

Douglas College acquired a new piece of edtech a year ago called the Lightboard. But just what is this lightboard thingy?

Basically, it’s a piece of illuminated glass, on which instructors can write their lessons/lecture notes–just as they would a whiteboard or blackboard in a traditional classroom. The real magic comes into play when the video camera reverses the image, allowing the instructor’s writing to read properly from left to right.

The benefits of this technology are clear:

  • ​Instructors face their audience (students) directly through the glass. [No longer is there a need to turn your back to the students to write on the board.]
  • Students, in turn, see exactly what the instructor is emphasizing.
  • Lightboard sessions are recorded; therefore, the instructor leaves with an MP4 file that can be uploaded to their Blackboard course space or shown to the class by playing it from the instructor computer.
  • Instructors do not need to learn new technology or develop new skills. The Lightboard is fully supported by the ATS team.
  • Using this technology is particularly gratifying to convey difficult concepts, sensitive topics, etc. The recording can be played and replayed as many times as necessary for students to master the content.
Check out this video showcasing two Douglas College instructors and a student discussing the benefits of the Lightboard. And, if you’re interested in finding out more, please contact us.