ShareTheBoard is whiteboard AI that enables educators to deliver a front-row experience to students - no matter where (or when) they're learning from - by instantly turning any whiteboard into an interactive teaching device.

During the pandemic, students experienced social/mental health issues and learning loss. These were tied directly, in part, to a sudden shift from a human-rich learning experience, to one relying on digital content. Moreover, many schools put the onus of engaging remote or hybrid classes on their teachers. Addressing in-person and remote students simultaneously often meant educators were doing double-work or, at best, having to spend a lot of time learning new tools.

ShareTheBoard puts educators - not digital tools - front and center. It gives them the comfort of using their historically-preferred teaching tool when addressing remote students. In turn, students enjoy the familiarity of seeing their teachers in a natural context.

With ShareTheBoard, teachers have no new tool to learn. They use their actual boards as they always have. Remote students enjoy always-legible board contents and can even add content directly to their teacher's boards. Finally, all board contents are saved automatically, allowing everyone's focus to remain on their teacher, instead of taking notes.

Formats/platforms are used:

ShareTheBoard is available as a Web app and as a desktop application on the Windows platform (a MAC version is slated for mid-2023).

Primary website’s URL:

https://sharetheboard.com/

Problem solved:

● Distance learning:

○ Problem: As evidenced during lockdowns, students experienced social/mental health issues and learning loss. These were tied directly to a sudden shift from a human-rich learning experience, to one relying on digital content.

○ Solution: ShareTheBoard puts educators and their message front and center: it gives them the comfort of using their preferred teaching tool when addressing remote students. In turn, students enjoy the familiarity of seeing their teachers in a natural context.

● Hybrid learning:

○ Problem: Addressing in-person and remote students synchronously often means educators are doing double-work or, at best, having to spend a lot of time learning new tools.

○ Solution: ShareTheBoard has zero learning curve: teachers simply use their boards as they always have. Moreover, by doing so, they can effectively address both in-person and remote students simultaneously.

● Engagement in larger classrooms:

○ Problem: Based on data collected from participating institutions, students past the 3rd row are less likely to participate in classroom discussion and retain information. This is tied to prosaic problems of board visibility or even anxiety of interaction.

○ Solution: ShareTheBoard puts teachers’ board in reach of all students, wherever they may be. Students can see all board contents clearly, can zoom in on any part of the board, and even add directly to the board without leaving their seats.

● General engagement and understanding

○ Problem: In lessons relying heavily on board use, students are often focused on transcribing the teacher’s board contents instead of understanding the underlying message.

○ Solution: ShareTheBoard automatically saves all board contents and makes them available as discrete files or even viewable in an instant replay format. Students focus instead on asking questions or recording their own insights and synthesis.

Grade/age range:

Ultimately, ShareTheBoard excels in any situation where traditional writing surfaces (e.g., whiteboards, blackboards, flipcharts) are employed. This makes it beneficial for higher learning environments, high schools, and elementary schools alike.

Core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development?

Core teaching and development

Subjects/topics:

ShareTheBoard is most useful in subjects relying more heavily on the use of traditional writing surfaces. STEM courses (apart from ones based solely on coding) and liberal arts subjects tend to be best represented in this group.

Lesson time required:

None. ShareTheBoard can be deployed in a “zero click” capacity, where teachers don’t have to interact with it at all. Administrators or power users can fully master the application within an hour.

Pricing model:

ShareTheBoard is made available in a SaaS subscription model, with licenses sold at $10-20/mo. Licenses are typically assigned to specific teachers/presenters.

Additional services needed:

None. ShareTheBoard works with existing hardware (e.g., laptops, class CPUs, cameras) and software (e.g., video conferencing apps such as Google Meet, Zoom, MS Teams, Skype)

What makes ShareTheBoard unique?

● A focus on educators over technology: Students enjoy a familiar learning experience, regardless of where (or when) they learn.

● Zero learning curve: Teachers jobs are hard enough! ShareTheBoard allows them to focus on conveying their lesson, not on learning a new tool.

● No technology gaps: students need only a browser to benefit from ShareTheBoard and board contents are crystal clear even over poor internet connection

● Affordability: ShareTheBoard is categorically more cost effective than any hardware-based alternative, making it a viable solution for schools serving varying socioeconomic areas

Characteristics

ShareTheBoard strives for the ultimate user experience: an essentially invisible technology. One of the tenets underlying the company’s mission is to develop technology that adapts to human behavior (as opposed to the opposite situation - so often the norm with new tech). Most of the interaction is, indeed, interface-less. The few cases where interaction with a UI is required is akin to using video conferencing tools.

As the goal of ShareTheBoard is to bring back traditional writing surfaces to remote, hybrid, or recorded teaching contexts, the app reflects all of the basic principles of instructional design espoused by traditional teaching methods:

- teaching proceeds at an efficient, human-optimized pace (fully controllable by the educator)

- the use of boards allows teachers to easily contextualize information as required

- education is interactive and dialogue-based, allowing teachers to elicit contributions from students in a natural and familiar context

- students are capable and, indeed, encouraged to contribute original content

Here’s what users are saying:

“ShareTheBoard delivers clear and unobstructed content - great for those viewing recorded lectures.”

- Michael Demkowicz, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

“Using a tablet with a digital whiteboard would require me to adjust the way I teach - sitting rather than standing. For some this might not matter but standing improves my energy, confidence and attitude; it is an accepted and well-known means of delivering an education. It's familiar.”

--Teresa Danze, Associate Professor, University of Dallas