An online whiteboard can be a great tool for teachers and students, and if you’re looking for the right place to start your search, we’ve got you covered. I will walk you through some of the best whiteboard software, including real-time whiteboard apps that use video calling technology. Before we dig into our list, it’s important to note that the best online whiteboard primarily depends on what you intend to use it for.
In other words, certain features may not be as useful if you primarily intend to use an online whiteboard for teaching math problems.
MICROSOFT WHITEBOARD
Image: source
Downloadable from the Microsoft Store, this is a handy tool for any teacher who is already teaching online using an Office 365 account as it easily integrates with and complements other Office 365 softwares for online classes such as Microsoft teams for video-conferencing.
However, Microsoft Whiteboard is clearly only for those who may already have an Office 365 account. Microsoft Whiteboard might not be the most convenient and accessible option for every student in your class. Furthermore, the downloading process for this App might be confusing and inaccessible for students as the Whiteboard App can only be downloaded through the Windows Store instead of the Office 365 portal. Additional steps are also needed to enable the application before use, which means that Microsoft Whiteboard is not your fastest solution to jotting down any spontaneous class discussions.
Deskle (Deskle.com)
This online whiteboard is a paid service but you can try it for free for 14 days. The tool itself offers many of the same features as the Whiteboard.chat and Whiteboard.fi, however there are many included templates and additional interactive features and integrations. So if your school or district is looking to purchase something that will fit well with your LMS then Deskle is worth looking into.
Learn more: Deskle – the online whiteboarding multitool for remote collaboration
Miro is another online whiteboard service with many of the same features that Deskle offers but it has a free option that lets you create 3 boards with unlimited team members. Miro offers realtime collaboration and an infinite zoomable canvas that allows for lots of collaboration in different areas of the same board. Miro also integrates with G Suite, MS Teams, Dropbox, Slack and more.
Learn more: Getting started with Miro webinar
OneNote (onenote.com)
If you have a touchscreen Windows device, this is a fantastic option. OneNote is my favorite notetaking app. Open a fresh note in OneNote to use as your online whiteboard. It’s an infinite canvas, so it gets as big as you want. It integrates nicely with other Microsoft 365 products. Plus, OneNote has GREAT math options: symbols, an equation editor, and other math tools.
HEYHI WHITEBOARD
Screenshot of HeyHi’s online whiteboard
Now that you are aware of 4 conventional free online whiteboards, it is our pleasure to introduce HeyHi, a unique online whiteboard software that can function as an independent teaching tool, or used alongside other video-conferencing apps. HeyHi is free to download and the free version allows users to set up online classes for up to four participants; ideal for in-depth, small group consultations. For larger groups, you can organise webinars for up to 100 participants.
Designed for effective teaching and learning, HeyHi is an online Whiteboard that allows teachers to organise virtual classes centred around a shareable whiteboard. What we think is a simple classroom furniture actually does much more. The process that teachers and students go through to pen down their thoughts and ideas has been shown to boost knowledge retention in students. As we move to online learning, it is all the more important that we preserve this quintessential feature and even increase its efficiency. HeyHi whiteboard does exactly that and more. Not only does it function like a traditional whiteboard, it also has additional features to enhance your teaching.
For instance, HeyHi’s whiteboard is expandable, which gives you the freedom to create more space for your notes, as and when you need it. Teachers can simply swipe to shift to another section of the whiteboard, or zoom out; all without the need to erase whatever that has been written. Coupled with HeyHi Whiteboard’s function of downloading all notes written on the whiteboard, it is now highly feasible to keep a quality record of the class’ progress, allowing students to easily use these materials for future references.
User shifts to another section of HeyHi’s online whiteboard to continue writing. Gif created on imgPlay.
The key feature that differentiates HeyHi from other online whiteboard software is its pragmatic interface that was designed specifically with students in mind. Clean and intuitive, HeyHi Whiteboard’s interface helps students focus on class content. Immediately upon entering a lesson, students will see a gridded whiteboard that takes up the entire screen, while the faces of their teachers and peers are only on the right margin of the screen. This creates a more conducive learning environment where students are less likely to be distracted by the faces and videos of their peers and teachers. Additionally, such an interface also carefully balances and meets the need for human contact, making virtual classes more familiar and comfortable.
HeyHi’s online whiteboard. Photo by HeyHi.
Beyond creating a conducive and comfortable learning environment, HeyHi’s whiteboard also provides a space for collaboration. For instance, teachers will be able to upload images and files for group exercises, allowing students to work together to cross-check each other’s learning. This value-adds their online learning experience by imparting crucial soft-skills such as teamwork. Creativity can also be fostered through mind maps creating exercises, which is a tried-and-tested strategy that reliably enhances students’ learning by connecting concepts. HeyHi whiteboard helps you facilitate exactly this.
Now, enough about the students; the developers at HeyHi whiteboard have not forgotten about the teachers either. With the aim to reduce educators’ workload and stress, HeyHi whiteboard goes above and beyond to take care of your administrative matters. HeyHi’s online whiteboard’s in-built calendaring system helps you to stay on top of everything by automating the booking and scheduling process for consultations. Even during lessons, you do not need to constantly busy yourself with taking attendance as HeyHi has already done so for you. With all the time that is freed up, teachers can now offer more guidance to their students.
Left: Student books an online consult with the teacher. Gif created by the writer on imgPlay.
Right: Screenshot of HeyHi’s attendance taking tool.
With so many classes a day, it will definitely be challenging to keep a record of all that is said. Fortunately, online whiteboards provide teachers with the ability to save their materials for future references. The advantages of saving these materials also include allowing absent students to catch up on class materials, without the need for teachers to organise extra make-up lessons. While online whiteboard recording for HeyHi has not been implemented yet, you can easily solve this by recording your sessions with tools such as Loom, Panopto, and Quicktime (Here is an in-depth guide on how to create an online whiteboard recording and a useful list of six free software for recording video lectures).
Loom’s screen recording interface. Photo by Loom.
Rest assured that HeyHi is a safe learning space. Developers at HeyHi do not take security lightly and have thus made it mandatory on HeyHi Whiteboard that all online lessons are only accessible by a Meeting ID and access code. While troublesome, these regular reminders not to reuse existing sessions helps ensure the safety and security of users so that parents need not worry about their children being affected by hackers with malicious intent during class.
HeyHi online whiteboard is also useful even after the health pandemic as it can double as a useful video-production tool. By writing and illustrating their ideas, teachers can use HeyHi’s online whiteboard to pre-record educational videos which can then be easily shared with students to guide their revisions outside of both physical and virtual classrooms.
A Web Whiteboard. A Web Whiteboard or AWW is a free and no login online whiteboard with basic tools: pen, eraser, color, and text. Users can share boards through a URL and download sketches as png file. AWW can also even be embedded in websites. Aww is free if used stand-alone and has an upgrade for shared boards.
Special Feature: You can embed AWWW on your website.
2.) Web Whiteboard. Web Whiteboard is a no login online whiteboard with basic tools such as pen, eraser, and sticky note . You can also share a board using a URL. In addition, it supports read only and password protected whiteboard. As of now, it is still in beta form, and according to the author, basic features will remain free for use.
Special Feature: Individual or groups whiteboard linking.
3.) Twiddla. Twiddla is no login online whiteboard that has a lot of good features. This includes collaboration, sharing, and documents and graphics upload. It also incorporates text and audio chats during sessions. You can also save and export your Twiddla whiteboard.
Special Feature: Unlimited number of users per whiteboard
4.) PixiClip. PixiClip is another no login whiteboard (or more on a canvass as the website describes). It lets you create and audio narration and record your video while creating your sketch.
Special Feature: Audio and Video Recording
Conclusion
Math is fun. Math online whiteboard is free for teachers and students. This means no cost. No Ads either. 100% ads free math whiteboard to practice, practice, practice!