Use online whiteboards for teaching

When to use online whiteboards 

Online whiteboards are impactful when the purpose and mode of learning are taken into consideration. 

Purpose 

Online whiteboards are great collaborative spaces. They provide a blank canvas to replicate physical whiteboards and allow students to join in as co-presenters or contributors. Many online whiteboards have preset templates for scaffolding collaboration, and most enable users to write, draw, share files and images, and comment on the contributions of others. 

Students can also experience each other contributing in real-time and give instant peer feedback. When the onus is on participation rather than perfection and presentation, students can also develop their digital literacy and collaboration skills. 

Mode 

Online whiteboards can be useful for on-campus, online synchronous, online asynchronous, and hybrid learning (i.e. some students on campus and others online at the same time). Each mode requires slightly different instructions and scaffolding, so it’s important to plan these in advance to ensure all students feel included, engaged and comfortable. 

Tips for effective use 

Before you choose your board and activity, consider these tips: 

• Give clear written and verbal instructions to students 
• Organise board content and activities in a logical order
• Scaffold use – show students how to navigate the board and use relevant tools, and give them practice
• Use templates to help organise the board – the 3 online whiteboards suggested in this resource all have a selection of templates to explore
• Keep in mind that not all of your students will be able to engage with online whiteboards, so be prepared to provide information or activities in other formats when required
• Consider whether another tool might be more appropriate if the main purpose of the board is not collaboration

Online whiteboards at UTS

These online whiteboards can all be accessed with your UTS credentials, meaning they are free and available to all UTS staff and students. 

Miro 

Miro is an online visual workspace designed for team-based planning, brainstorming and presenting. Use Miro when you want students to work together on complex visual ideation, mapping or project planning activities across a series of tutorials or a whole session. You can also use Miro as a collaborative presentation tool. 

MS Whiteboard 

MS Whiteboard is a canvas for online collaboration that is integrated into other Microsoft products, like MS Teams. Use MS Whiteboard for simple whiteboarding activities, or in classes already using MS Teams.

Zoom Whiteboard 

Zoom Whiteboard is an online canvas integrated into the Zoom app. It is designed for quick collaboration during Zoom meetings and classes. Use Zoom Whiteboard when you’re running classes in Zoom and would like to keep your whiteboards organised within your Zoom account. Learn more about Zoom Whiteboard: Getting started with Zoom Whiteboard.