JOLT Lightboard Studio

Let your lessons glow… literally! The Lightboard lets you brighten up your content and engage students on a completely new level. This unique light board, constructed from glass, will appear transparent on camera - what remains are the glowing words, diagrams and illustrations that you produce on the board which will appear to be floating and dancing in the air! 

Faculty can produce videos using the Lightboard to “flip” their classroom and complement their teaching initiatives. Potential videos include instructor introductions, microlectures, tutorials for solving difficult problems, explanations of more complex topics that would otherwise take up a significant amount of class time, pre-lab lectures and more. What's more, we believe we have the only custom built Lightboard in the world that is completely ADA compliant! Our talented JCC faculty, staff and students were challenged to create a board that anyone could use, and the result was a Lightboard that raises and lowers; providing complete accessibility for all! For a list of participants, visit the Lightboard Project Participants page.

How does it work?

The Lightboard consists of a glass board for writing notes and a camera to film the professor. It can also incorporate PowerPoint slides, animations or video onto the board that can be annotated by the professor during filming. The Lightboard is a novel tool to present class material because it allows the instructor to face the viewer, draw diagrams, equations, or formulas the same way they would on a chalkboard or whiteboard. In addition, the final video is higher quality than a video obtained by someone filming a lecture by traditional means. Videos can be shared with students several ways -- Blackboard, YouTube or a professor’s own website. Film your instructional videos using our Lightboard, teach your lesson plan, and light up those lessons!

Why use it?

If there’s one inextricable element to teaching and learning it would be communication. Online instructors and students often face considerable challenges in this regard. In a conventional lecture hall, where students and instructors are in the same room, a full range of verbal and non-verbal communication bolsters student success. Conversely, communication of all kinds is challenging in an online class environment.

Compared to traditional video lecture formats, Lightboard lessons allow for more opportunities for student engagement:

• Visible instructors promote learner motivation
• Visible instructors provide a guide through an otherwise difficult domain
• Perception of student instructor relationships are fortified by the physical presence of an instructor. Students work harder to understand the lesson when they feel the presence of an instructor.
• Online students learn best when lessons are personalized and they involve onscreen coaching
• Gesture, and nonverbal communication is a critical factor in learning environments.
  
  Source: Community College Research Center 

JCC Faculty Lightboard Highlights:

Where is it, and how can I create my own Lightboard video module?

The Lightboard studio is located in STUDIO T, which is in the Tart Building. If you would like to use the Lightboard, first review our Lightboard Best Practices, and then reserve a time slot via JOLT's Sharepoint site on the staff and faculty intranet.

The Lightboard project was a collaboration between JCC's staff, faculty, and students.

The Lightboard is an open-source technology developed by Northwestern University professor Michael Peshkin.