Using Lightboard for Alternative Content Presentations
What do you get when you combine LED lights, a large piece of glass and an instructor with a complex problem to explain? An opportunity to create an engaging and effective instructional learning experience for students![1]
The lightboard, or transparent whiteboard, has been used in educational settings since 2016. It is a method to create pre-recorded videos for students in a studio setting. Instructors stand behind a heavy sheet of glass and write on the glass board with markers as they simultaneously explain concepts to their students. Equations, diagrams and other images can also be projected onto the glass. The instructor annotates on the images while providing a verbal description thereby also meeting accessibility requirements. Although the writing initially appears backwards as the instructor is writing on the glass, in post-production, the glass board is flipped, so everything appears correct in the final video.
Why Consider Lightboard
The lightboard uses a familiar lecturing method that harkens back to chalkboard days of writing and explaining problems in front of a class. However, since the instructor is continuously facing their audience while writing on a lightboard, this approach creates a more personal experience increasing instructor presence and subsequently, student engagement.[1]
Creating explanatory student videos with the lightboard also makes it easier to apply some of the Principles of Multimedia Learning, such as signaling and multimedia, as established by R. E. Mayer, a foundational researcher in the field of multimedia learning. Signaling occurs when instructors use arrows, highlighting and other techniques to draw attention to important information.
“According to the multimedia principle … people learn more deeply when they build connections between a verbal representation and a pictorial representation of the same material.”[2] Using a lightboard embeds these cognitive learning elements into a singular delivery format.
Post-production work, or editing, for lightboard videos is performed by multimedia staff at the Center for Learning Design & Technology (CLDT). Instructors visit a studio on campus to record the videos in real time and then CLDT members do the rest of the work!
Best Use Cases for Lightboard
Lightboard recordings are great for math intensive content where it is necessary to demonstrate how to work out equations. They can also be effective for explaining processes or concepts where pictures and visual aids are beneficial. Lightboards are not ideal for content that is primarily narrative in nature. Instructors can organize their instructional material to separate lightboard videos from other content thereby varying the content delivery types in their course.
While new processes can sometimes feel intimidating, our team at CLDT facilitates the technique. We can arrange for you to take a tour of the lightboard studio to see exactly how it works and guide you accordingly. Sometimes it takes a recording session or two to get the hang of how to use this new technique. No worries. With our feedback loop and skilled staff available to assist you along the way, you can become a lightboard pro in no time.
Reservations for the lightboard studio can be made during times that will work with your schedule. Lightboard studios are available to use on the Homewood Campus in Baltimore and at the Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland.
Best Practices
Here are some best practices to consider as you embark on your lightboard recording adventure. This is not an all-encompassing list and our media team will have more specific instructions when scheduling your recording sessions.
- Plan your talk so you know where you are going to be drawing on the lightboard. If you need to erase (much) or add another board, it may be too long. Ideally videos should be no more than 10-15 minutes in length. Consider having a series of short videos for a more complete explanation.
- If there are several videos in a single module, an introduction is only needed on the first one in the series. Subsequent videos can start with “referencing the previous video” or “resuming our explanation of ‘X’.”
- When you aren’t writing or pointing to an item on the lightboard, look and speak directly at the camera. Use this opportunity to increase your instructor presence.
- You needn’t strive for perfection. With proper preparation and the assistance of the CLDT a quality product will result.
We encourage you to explore new ways to present content to your students that make the best use of technology for teaching and learning online. Lightboard recordings are an excellent medium to help both you and your students demystify complex concepts. Your willingness to make use of the technologies, with our high level of support, is a key component for the creation of amazing content that will set your course apart in the landscape of options available to students.
References
- Stull, A., Fiorella, L., Gainer, M., Mayer, R. (May 2018). Using Transparent Whiteboards to boost learning from online STEM lectures. Computers and Education. Vol. 120, Pp. 146-159. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131518300393?via%3Dihub
- Mayer, R. E. (2008). Applying the science of learning: Evidence-based principles for the design of multimedia instruction. American Psychologist, 63(8), 760–769. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.8.760