Whiteboard Software for Online Teaching

Whiteboard Software is any kind of an application that is built and suitable for drawing or note taking on a shared Windows desktop or a web browser, using three dimensional drawing methods to allow multiple users to work together simultaneously. The concept of using a screen as a whiteboard for collaboration and education has been used since the early 90’s. The software enables teachers and their students to collaborate online through the interactive capture and manipulation of images, handwriting and drawings.

Here are a couple of whiteboards that you would like.

Google Jamboard

google jamboard.jpg

Google Jamboard is a great tool for anyone who needs to collaborate on a whiteboard and already has a Google account. it also a cross-platform with it being available on the Web, iOS and Android.

Jamboard is free and incredibly user-friendly. Jamboard enables users to sketch your ideas whiteboard-style while benefiting from the access and connectivity of an interactive canvas.

Users can easily drop images, add notes, and pull assets directly from the web while collaborating with team members from anywhere. whether your team is in the same room using multiple Jamboards, or across the world using the Jamboard app on mobile.

After creating a Jamboard, you can share it via the built-in Google sharing system and even export a board as a PDF. As Jamboard is a part of the Gsuite, you can pull in work from Docs, Sheets, and Slides and even add photos stored in Drive to your Jamboard!

OpenBoard

openboard.jpg

OpenBoard is an open source cross-platform teaching software for interactive whiteboard designed primarily for use in schools and universities. Supported platforms are Windows (7+), macOS (10.9+) and Linux (tested on 16.04).

Open board is an amazing software that provides us with multiple tools that allow us to record screen, plot graphs, add shapes, images, stopwatch, calculator etc. It consists many rich features such as annotation, recording, writing, importing and exporting files etc.

The best part of this software is that you even don’t need any separate screen recording software to record the screen, this whiteboard software comes along with its own screen recording tool named “Podcasting”. So, you can use this “Podcasting” tool and record the computer screen & Create your own Online Course.

BitPaper

BitPaper.jpg

BitPaper is a multi-functional online whiteboard tool that’s totally free to use, allowing you to use its audio and video chat functions whilst you use the site to create interactive ‘papers’. Not only can you use the board to write notes, draw graphs and diagrams, and share educational videos, but you can also create art and play games too, keeping lessons fun and entertaining.

An added bonus of BitPaper is that it also gives tutors the ability to reuse papers for numerous lessons, and also set students homework and check when it’s completed. Basic usage is free, but that only allows the use of one ‘paper’.

Miro

Miro.jpg

With over 4.5 million users, Miro is one of the most popular online whiteboards for tutors and businesses alike. Miro gives you an infinite canvas. There are loads of widgets you can choose from like arrows, shapes, post-it notes, freehand drawing and smart drawing.

Combining great teaching tools such as a zoomable whiteboard, board templates, and integration with tools such as Dropbox , Google Suite and Zoom . Miro is a slick, easy-to-use teaching platform. Tutors and students can add to the board individually, allowing for real-time collaboration, and use board tools such as sticky notes, flow charts, and inserted images.

Miro is a top tool for brainstorm sessions among remote teams. You can collaborate in real time in digital workspaces. You can also leave notes for team members to be read asynchronously. There is also screen sharing and video conferencing. Finally, Miro frames can be exported to PDF and used for presentations.

There’s a free version of Miro which gets you 3 interactive whiteboards. but there are also premium memberships available.

Ziteboard

ziteboard.jpg

Ziteboard is a cross-platform online whiteboard with realtime collaboration . It works on any device: laptops, tablets, mobile devices – optimized for both iPad’s Safari and Google Chrome on laptops.

You can draw with shape tools or there is an option for shape recognition. Lots of features provided. No need to install or download anything, it runs on any modern device with browsers.

You can also insert images and PDF files onto your whiteboard and use the integrated whiteboard video and audio chat functions, making it a great site for online teaching. Once your lesson is finished, you’re also able to export your whiteboard as a high-resolution image or PDF, so your student can retain the work done in the lesson.

With freehand drawing and line smoothing all your scribbles will look perfect- making it an amazing tool for wireframing. A WordPress plugin, smartphone apps, Slack integration, and even Google Chrome Extension allow users to fully leverage the power of Ziteboard.

Conceptboard

Conceptboard.jpg

Conceptboard is an online whiteboard that is great for teaching more visual subjects or learners. With the ability to integrate educational tools such as videos, images, and diagrams onto your board, Conceptboard allows for interactive and effective learning. The whiteboard also comes with the added bonus of video chat and screen-sharing capabilities, further enhancing the possibilities for tutor-tutee collaboration on the board, along with enhanced security, keeping your work private.

Conceptboard is a highly professional whiteboard experience. It’s great for agile teams doing brainstorming, design collaboration, project management and remote meetings. It’s got an infinite canvas. You get tons of visuals like sticky notes and mind map icons, as well as templates. When team members edit a board you get notifications in real time. There are live conferences with live moderation features. Conceptboard also tracks data like the number of boards you create, projects and tasks.

The site is free to use, with the option of signing up for paid plans if you wish. For enterprise plans contact Conceptboard.

Limnu

Limu.jpg

Anyone seeking an experience that is as close to using an authentic whiteboard experience should consider Limnu. This virtual whiteboard is accessible through any website browser and using the whiteboard’s mobile application. Limnu provides a realistic take on the virtual whiteboard experience. The tools available to users are found in competitive products, but administrative features set Limnu apart from the others. Limnu also manages to replicate the strokes made by a whiteboard marker.

Limnu offers a quick updating and responsive virtual whiteboard experience. It also provides a fluid experience that users should appreciate.

Limnu provides one of the best user experiences. It comes close to replicating the visual and physical experience of using whiteboards with a marker. The interface is user-friendly, with menus that are easy to navigate and understand. Limnu also has several keyboard shortcuts. The letter “E” opens the eraser and “S” selects items on the screen. The shortcut “M” lets users move around the whiteboard. Users are able to quickly change the tool’s settings.

These features help to enhance a user experience that is already viewed as a positive one.

Another positive feature of the Limnu UX is the fact that everything that gets written or drawn on the whiteboard is selectable. These images can be dragged, grouped, and moved as objects. The feature works in a manner that is similar to the marquee selection tool. Having the ability to select and drag options lets anyone rearrange the items on a board without having to erase and rewrite them.

Whiteboard.fi

Whiteboard.fi.jpg

Created by a teacher slash developer with a passion to be an entrepreneur! Very simple and very basic, the main purpose of this board is for informative assessment.

It’s extremely fast to set up and requires very little effort. You can use it on any device and all you need is the lesson code to login and start learning. It’s a virtual classroom that can hold multiple students, with their own board to write their answers.

The tutor can review this and clear it with one click, simply move on and ask the next question on the board. The teacher can ask a question on the board and all the children reply on their tablet and the teacher can review all the independent answers on the screen.

This appears to be a new board that is still going through development to include more features like the other boards. But the fact that they are taking it slow and started off simple, means they can do things well. Soon they have new developments to come; such as being able to upload images, save boards, create whiteboard backgrounds and much more.

Extra : Note-taking applications

The challenge of web or browser-based whiteboard programs is the time lag. This means that the letters are delayed and only half represented by the delay. The response time over the Internet is too slow. As a solution, installing and using a local program is to be essential.

Teaching Online has several products that can be used for digital whiteboard work :

Powerpoint

PowerPoint.jpg

Draw on PowerPoint slides: You can also annotate powerpoint slides, either blank or with initial content, and think of them as digital whiteboards. There is no built-in sharing/collaboration functionality, so PowerPoint would be best for the instructor’s use.

Bring up an online slide (in Google Slides or in PowerPoint). Add text, images, shapes, lines, videos, etc. Use that as your whiteboard and record your screen while it’s up. Note: If you have the PowerPoint desktop app, you can draw and then turn your writing into editable text, moveable shapes and math equations.

MS OneNote

Microsoft OneNote.jpg

Use MS OneNote to write by hand, draw, or sketch, either with your finger or a stylus. OneNote is perfect for lesson plans and building digital binders for students. Plus, OneNote has GREAT math options: symbols, an equation editor, and other math tools. PDF readers like Acrobat, including OneNote, can be used to annotate homework.

Xournal++

xournal++.jpg

Xournal++ is a handwriting notetaking and sketching software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with GTK3, supporting Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, SUSE), macOS and Windows 10. Supports pen input from devices such as XP-PEN or Wacom graphics drawing Tablets. It aims to provide superior graphical quality (subpixel resolution) and overall functionality.

 

AWW APP

Image: source

A Web Whiteboard (AWW) App is a free browser whiteboard app. It is touch-friendly, making it ideal for drawing especially on touch-screen devices. AWW App has an intuitive interface with the tools tab on the left hand side, and the controls on the right hand side. Tools available include the basic markers, erasers, and a sticky note function. AWW App also allows you to zoom in and out or to pan across your whiteboard, freely navigating the space throughout lesson time. AWW App is convenient as it does not require any downloading or installation to use, and you can simply create a new whiteboard and share the link with your students.

However, after the lesson is completed, the free version only allows you to export your notes with an AWW watermark that cannot be removed, meaning that materials created during class cannot double as customised notes for each class of students. Alternative methods include taking screenshots of your whiteboard, which is time consuming. Furthermore, the free version does not allow you to manage your participants, posing a potential threat to class progress as just about any student can hijack their classmates’ work by erasing or drawing on the whiteboard. In order to enjoy other premium features on AWW App, you will need to create an account starting from $10/month. The free premium trial only lasts for 14 days. Demonstrations on how to use AWW App’s functions can be found on their Youtube channel.  

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.

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.

Conclusion

Whilst there are a number of different whiteboard software options available to teachers, the most popular seems to be Edupia. This software provides a versatile platform for teachers who want to show their work in a visual manner in the classroom.

Leave a Comment