What is it?

zoom whiteboard landing page

A digital whiteboard is an interactive, virtual canvas that allows users to write, draw, and collaborate in real-time. It’s a digital version of the traditional classroom whiteboard, but with enhanced features and accessibility. Enhanced features may include various drawing and writing tools, shape and line tools, image and file upload, templates, annotations, screen sharing, sticky notes, and more.

Why is this useful?

There may be a number of ways you would find a digital whiteboard useful for your course. Some potential advantages:

  • Enhanced Collaboration: Digital whiteboards facilitate real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to contribute simultaneously, regardless of their physical location. This is particularly beneficial in settings where group projects and peer learning are emphasized.
  • Persistent Content: Unlike traditional whiteboards, digital versions allow ideas and discussions to be saved, revisited, and shared after the session ends. This feature supports asynchronous learning and review.
  • Multimedia Integration: Many digital whiteboards enable easy incorporation of images, videos, and other digital content into presentations and discussions, enriching the learning experience.
  • Flexible Learning Spaces: These tools support both in-person and remote learning environments when needed.
  • Increased Engagement: Interactive features of digital whiteboards can boost student participation and retention.
  • Accessibility: Digital tools can provide additional support for students with diverse learning needs, such as zoom features for visually impaired students or text-to-speech for auditory learners.

How do I use it at Carleton?

Currently, Carleton has access to one active digital whiteboard space that we support: Zoom Whiteboard. And before we get into how to access Zoom Whiteboard, let’s answer the question on everyone’s mind. No, you do NOT have to be in a Zoom meeting to use Zoom Whiteboard. More on this below. With that question answered, let’s review what the Zoom Whiteboard features are, and how to gain access to the Whiteboard space.

Zoom Whiteboard features include:

  1. Persistent, expandable digital canvases: These can be created, accessed, and shared before, during, and after meetings and/or classes.
  2. Multiple creation methods:
    • Through the installed Zoom desktop app
    • During a meeting by clicking the Whiteboard icon
    • By logging into carleton.zoom.us
  3. Collaboration tools: Allows for annotating and adding comments.
  4. File integration: Users can upload images and files.
  5. Templates: Zoom Whiteboard offers various built-in templates in categories such as:
    • Agile
    • Brainstorming and ideation
    • Design and Research
    • Icebreakers and Team Builders
    • Mapping and Diagramming
    • Meetings and Retrospectives
  6. Custom templates: Users can create their own templates.
  7. Exporting: Whiteboards can be exported to PDF or PNG format.
  8. Flexible Access: Whiteboards can be accessed during and after meetings from the user’s Zoom account.
  9. Sharing capabilities: Users can share whiteboards with others.
  10. Pages: Breakout spaces so that groups can collaborate together in their own digital whiteboard space while still being able to go to the main whiteboard area to interact with others (think Breakout Rooms in Zoom).
  11. Timer and Voting: A countdown timer that appears to see how much time is left for an activity, and a vote feature for participants to vote on comments and objects in the whiteboard space.

Following our Knowledgebase article on Zoom Whiteboard, there are multiple ways we can create a whiteboard.

  1. Using the Zoom Desktop App when outside of a Zoom meeting
Image of zoom desktop app

2. Launching a whiteboard during a Zoom meeting.

Zoom meeting toolbar

3. In a browser by logging into carleton.zoom.us. Once in, click on Whiteboards in the left-side panel, and if given a choice between the Zoom Whiteboard or the Classic Whiteboard, choose Zoom Whiteboard.

4. Once you have used the browser version, another quick way to access the whiteboards through your whiteboard dashboard. Visit https://zoom.us/wb/dashboard#/ and login with your Carleton credentials when prompted. Bookmark this after your first login for easy access.

Once you’ve created your Whiteboard, you can start creating or sharing that space immediately! For more information on the Zoom Whiteboard features as well as how to create and share, please visit out Zoom Whiteboard Knowledgebase article, or reach out to Academic Technology (at@carleton.edu) for more help.

What about other options? What happened to Jamboard?

Jamboard is unfortunately being discontinued, and we can no longer create new Jams. Access to old Jams for exporting will still be available until December 31, 2024.

There are a many other options for digital whiteboard spaces, which will be linked below. Many of these have free versions, or EDU versions that have many of the advanced features available in a limited context. Please keep in mind that these are not supported by Carleton. You (the user) would be the point-of-contact for that particular software, and any technical help would need to be accessed through the third-party vendor by the user. Here is a short list of some of the more popular whiteboards: