The Lightboard Studio on Langley campus.
What is it?
The lightboard is a tool to make videos where you can face the audience and interact with your writing/drawings in real time. The instructor faces the camera and stands behind a glass board which they write on normally. The video is then flipped so that the writing on the board is legible.
Any lesson which is taught in traditional lectures with lots of boardwork (particularly in physics, math, statistics, or organic chemistry) can be easily adapted to a lightboard.
(Image from Perkins & Woods, 2023.)
What are the benefits?
As with most video content, lightboard videos can be used across classes and across semesters.
While there are many video formats available for delivering content, the lightboard most closely mimics one-to-one instruction. The instructor is front and center in the video, and they generally interact with their own writing and drawings.
The lightboard studio at KPU additionally permits integration of any computer content, including PowerPoint and Excel. Anything in black will be keyed out (transparent), so a set-up in “dark mode” is typically used. It is also possible to interact with a simulation like the PhET Ideal Gas simulation.
What are the challenges?
While the T&L Commons have set up a lightboard on Langley campus, some practice and training is required before you will be making your own videos.
Editing the video is also a necessity. An instructor may do multiple takes, and even erasing the board clean takes some time.
Who’s using this?
Pending… if you’ve used this technique and you’re willing to share thoughts about your and your students’ experience, send me an email!
Resources
KPU’s Teaching and Learning Commons maintains a lightboard studio on the Langley campus. This link contains information on how the T&L Commons can support you in making lightboard videos. Book a consultation!
You can watch a demonstration lesson on the lightboard studio page above!
References
Aslanidou, E. (2022). Literature review of the innovative Learning Glass/Lightboard in hybrid education. European Journal of Alternative Education Studies, 7(2). https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejae/article/view/4563/7198
Lubrick, M., Zhou, G., & Zhang, J. (2019). Is the future bright? the potential of lightboard videos for student achievement and engagement in learning. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 15(8), em1735. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/108437 KPU Library Permalink: https://go.exlibris.link/1BChVLsS
Perkins, R. J., & Woods, B. P. (2023). An office-space lightboard studio for creating professional pre-lecture videos with increased student engagement. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(9), 3645-3651. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00554 KPU Library Permalink: https://go.exlibris.link/mw2fCq2H
