The LightBoard Depot Inc. Makes Online Learning Fun, says University of Ottawa professor

Since online learning has become a mainstay in the education system, The LightBoard Depot Inc. has served as the perfect teacher’s assistant. Improving learning outcomes, promoting engagement, and making the virtual classroom fun.

Teachers and instructors are constantly becoming more familiar with the challenges facing the virtual classroom and the potential solutions to overcome them. When it comes to efforts to engage students online, mileage may vary. Many students struggle with focus and information retention in virtual classrooms. Visual learners struggle with text-heavy readings or long seminars, and those who rely solely on auditory learning struggle with video lessons. An attempt to engage students one way often sacrifices another, such as screen sharing a PowerPoint display that sacrifices eye contact from the teacher.

The LightBoard Depot Inc. is redefining the limitations of online learning by equipping teachers and instructors with the same presentation options they would have in a classroom. For Dr. Ned Huang, who teaches at the University of Ottawa in Mechanical Engineering, his favourite part about the LightBoard Depot Inc is how much fun it is.

“The best thing about the LightBoard is the students and I have a lot of fun. And students tend to pay more attention when you have a connection with them, and that connection is something the LightBoard facilitates,” said Dr. Ned Huang.

The LightBoard Depot Inc. is a pane of glass standing between the teacher and their camera. The teacher writes with neon pens that light up, while he or she is filmed from the other side. Inverting the image allows the writing to appear at the correct angle on the video. This allows the teacher to work through problems visually as they would on a blackboard without sacrificing connection. Constant eye contact enhances engagement and maintains the relationship between student and instructor at all times, which can be so difficult to achieve remotely.

“The students are benefitting from it for sure. Most of the time students ask me right away how the LightBoard works, so you can see the interaction right away. It works for presentations to the school board, we use it for different purposes,” said Dr. Ned Huang.

The LightBoard Depot Inc. offers incredible versatility beyond its function as a transparent chalkboard. The LightBoard Depot Inc. is capable of displaying anything a computer can display. Simply by interacting with the LightBoard Depot Inc., instructors can produce any visual assistance they need, such as slides or graphs, and also write or draw on them.

The ability to produce previously created digital components is another element Dr. Ned Huang draws upon while teaching.

“Even while physically in the classroom, I don’t write all the time because I want to be able to maximize the connection with the students. So, while using LightBoard I can prepare files, written notes, or PDFs, to have at my disposal and I can further expand and explain them as needed,” said Dr. Ned Huang.

The LightBoard Depot Inc. is improving online learning outcomes through its versatile ability to connect with students who learn in different ways. On top of that, Dr. Ned Huang finds that students engage with the material more meaningfully out of respect for the effort teachers put in by utilizing a tool like the LightBoard Depot Inc.

“When students can see the effort that you put into your teachings, they want to put effort into their studies as well,” said Dr. Ned Huang.