The sudden switch to distance learning in the wake of Covid-19 left many teachers scrambling to replicate their physical classrooms in a virtual setting. A recent survey found that 93% of educators used some form of online learning during the pandemic, yet 84% received little to no training for it (source).
One of the biggest challenges has been translating the interactive, freeform nature of in-class whiteboards to the remote environment. How do you brainstorm ideas, work through problems, and maintain dynamic discussions when everyone is in their own little Zoom rectangle?
As a teacher and technologist, I was intrigued by the promise of ViewSonic‘s myViewBoard to bridge this gap. It‘s a digital whiteboarding platform designed for education that aims to bring the flexibility and engagement of a real whiteboard to any learning environment – whether physical, online or blended.
I‘ve spent the last month putting myViewBoard through real-world lesson planning and instructional scenarios. I collaborated with fellow teachers to see how it enhances online student interaction. And I evaluated how well it integrates with display hardware for in-class and hybrid settings.
Here‘s my in-depth review of whether myViewBoard lives up to its promise as the ultimate digital whiteboard for the modern classroom.
What is myViewBoard?
At its core, myViewBoard is a digital canvas that gives teachers an infinite space to prepare and present lessons. Using a full suite of writing, drawing, and media tools, you can build interactive slides that go far beyond a static PowerPoint deck.
These lessons can then be presented in a variety of scenarios:
In-Class
- Present directly from Windows PC or Mac
- Cast wirelessly or via HDMI to a ViewBoard interactive display
- Annotate and illustrate key concepts in real-time
- Invite students up to collaborate
Online
- Share a live view of the whiteboard via link or QR code
- Allow students to join from any web browser
- Conduct video conference with Zoom, Google Meet, Teams integration
- Use tools like polls, notes, and breakouts to facilitate interaction
Hybrid
- Mix of in-person and remote participants
- Students on companion mobile apps follow teacher‘s live whiteboard
- Digital hand-raising and screen sharing for equal participation
- Teacher can quickly switch between whole class and online breakouts
myViewBoard also serves as a collaboration hub, with file sharing, assignment distribution/collection, and LMS integration. Cloud storage means all your lessons are accessible from anywhere and instantly shareable.
Pricing and Ecosystem
ViewSonic provides myViewBoard as a free web app, as well as premium tiers that unlock additional features (more on those later). They also offer a line of ViewBoard interactive displays and accessories optimized for myViewBoard software.
While not strictly required to use myViewBoard, a touchscreen display really enhances the experience for in-class and hybrid scenarios. Being able to smoothly write, erase, manipulate objects, and jump around the canvas – not to mention have students physically interact with the board – brings lessons to life in a way that feels natural and engaging.
ViewBoard displays start at $2,699 for a 55" 4K panel and go up to $12,999 for an 86" 4K model. They run an Android operating system with myViewBoard software built-in, plus Windows or Chrome OS for more computing power. Pens and stands are sold separately.
For schools heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, there are also ViewBoard options with a Chrome OS backend to make deployment and management easier. No matter the OS, all ViewBoards support wireless casting, USB touch control, and advanced display settings.
Hands-On Experience
So what‘s it actually like to teach with myViewBoard? In a word – liberating. Having an infinite canvas to map out lessons allows for way more flexibility and interactivity compared to static slides. I found myself naturally incorporating more visuals, brainstorming prompts, and freeform problem-solving.
Lesson Prep Workflow
Building lessons is quick and intuitive. The main app for Windows or Mac gives you a full toolkit:
- Pen, highlighter, eraser, laser pointer
- Insert images, videos, audio, web pages
- Sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, equations
- Customizable backgrounds and templates
I really appreciated the ability to import existing files from PowerPoint, PDF, and Google Drive. This makes it easy to transition current materials while enhancing them with new whiteboarding features. All changes are auto-saved to the cloud.
One of my favorite tools is Magic Box, which uses AI to turn rough sketches into crisp diagrams. In one demo lesson, I casually drew a few rectangles and circles to represent a molecular structure. Magic Box instantly smoothed out my shapes and suggested a gallery of related chemistry graphics to drag in, making the concept much clearer than my chicken scratch ever could.
In-Class Presentation
When connected to a ViewBoard display, interacting with lessons is a dream. The high-res multi-touch screen makes writing and drawing with the pens highly responsive (palm rejection tech distinguishes accidental touches). Tapping objects pulls up context-sensitive menus to resize, rotate, change colors and execute other commands.
A killer feature is the ability to have multiple participants working on the whiteboard simultaneously, either by students coming up to the board or joining from personal devices. You can also send out individual canvases to students or groups for brainstorming. A real-time messaging window allows students to pose questions or react with emojis without disrupting the flow.
In one review lesson, I had students submit practice questions ahead of time. During class, I pulled up each problem on the board, worked through the steps collaboratively while students followed along and chimed in from their tablets, then pushed out a quick multiple choice poll to check understanding (responses show up live on screen). Being able to weave together static content, live annotation, and instant interaction kept students engaged much better than a traditional slide deck.
Online Presentation
Pivoting those same interactive lessons online is surprisingly seamless. The core digital whiteboard experience carries over to the web-based version for students at home. As the instructor, you still build and drive the lesson from the Windows/Mac app, now with the option to start a video conference.
In your virtual room, you can see students‘ webcams and share the whiteboard canvas. One click puts content into presentation mode where you‘re free to navigate around the board – zooming, panning, annotating – while students follow along in real-time. A virtual laser pointer helps direct attention.
Pupils can raise their digital hand to ask questions, be invited to speak, share their screen, or even take control of the whiteboard. Breakout rooms allow for small group collaboration on separate whiteboard instances. And just like in-class, quick polls and emojis encourage interactivity.
With everyone learning the tools and the flow, my online classes started to feel just as engaging and freeform as the physical version. The biggest limitation is obviously the lack of tactile whiteboard interaction. Drawing and writing with a mouse will never be as quick and natural. ViewSonic does offer a web-connected digital pen for remote participants, but most students will be on keyboard and touchpad only.
Benefits
So what are the measurable impacts of teaching with myViewBoard? ViewSonic claims:
- 30% increase in student engagement in surveyed classrooms
- 50% time savings in lesson planning
- 90% of teachers would recommend myViewBoard to colleagues
In my month of testing with a group of 7th grade classes, I definitely noticed more participation and excitement compared to my usual remote learning tech stack of Google Classroom for assignments and Zoom for video.
Having everything consolidated in one interactive workspace made the flow of presenting media, guiding discussions, and checking for understanding much smoother. On average I shaved about 20 minutes off my lesson prep time by not having to juggle creating slides, worksheets, and polls across different apps.
The most enthusiastic response by far was during a science lab simulation. Since we couldn‘t manipulate physical components, I loaded a template of various circuit elements which students could drag around the canvas and wire up. As each group presented their work, we collaboratively troubleshot and iterated until we arrived at working designs. This simply wouldn‘t have been possible with static slides.
Drawbacks
As magical as myViewBoard can be for making lessons interactive, there are a few limitations to be aware of:
Free vs Premium Features
The free basic plan for myViewBoard is actually quite generous. You get core whiteboarding with an infinite canvas plus simple screen sharing and live annotations. However, many of the features that replicate a full classroom experience are reserved for paid plans.
This includes:
- Unlimited cloud storage (5GB on free)
- Co-teaching tools
- Participant management
- Breakout groups
- Polls and quizzes
- AI-powered Magic Box
- Offline mode
ViewSonic is currently offering free myViewBoard Premium for educators through September 30, 2022 to help ease the transition to hybrid learning. After that it will cost $149/year per teacher (volume discounts available).
While not bank-breaking, those costs could add up for larger schools and districts. And some key features like embedding live websites and uploading video are only available with specific ViewBoard hardware.
Reliance on ViewBoard
Although myViewBoard is a hardware-agnostic app, ViewSonic clearly intends it as an ecosystem play to drive adoption of their ViewBoard lineup. The software shines brightest with a multi-touch display as both a digital whiteboard and wireless casting hub.
While you can still do plenty with just the free PC/web versions, the full experience requires an investment in displays, accessories and a fast wireless network to connect teachers and students. Mobile apps work in a pinch for interactive presenting, but lack many preparation features.
Alternatives
Currently the main competitors to myViewBoard are:
SMART Learning Suite
- Legacy player in education displays and software
- Supports Windows/Mac lesson creation and touch displays
- Lessons run in any web browser
- Also has game-based and collaborative activities
- More expensive licensing and hardware than ViewSonic
- Whiteboard tools not as intuitive or feature-rich (eg no infinite canvas)
Explain Everything
- Collaborative online and mobile whiteboard app
- Real-time and asynchronous collaboration
- Integrated browser-based video creation
- Easy animation and recording tools
- No native integration with classroom displays
- Lessons live in the cloud only
Microsoft Whiteboard
- Web, PC and mobile app
- Included with Microsoft 365 for Education
- Tight integration with Teams, OneDrive, OneNote
- Intelligent ink and shape recognition
- No integrated video conferencing tools
- Requires Microsoft account sign-on
Feature-wise, myViewBoard is the most complete solution for combining lesson creation, delivery, and assessment. And the free premium access during Covid makes it the best value. But if you‘re already invested in the Microsoft or Google ecosystem, it may make sense to use their native whiteboarding tools to avoid dealing with a separate account system.
Recommendation
After extensive testing as both a teacher and IT administrator, I confidently recommend myViewBoard for any school looking to level up their interactive learning – whether instruction is fully remote, in-person, or a hybrid. It‘s an elegant solution for the key challenges of student engagement, content creation, and mobile flexibility.
Best suited for:
- Grades 2-12 (younger students may struggle with some tools)
- STEM subjects with visual problem-solving
- Humanities discussions and storyboarding
- Districts prioritizing student devices and/or interactive whiteboards
Key benefits:
- Infinite canvas allows freeform mapping of related concepts
- Seamlessly shift between in-class and remote instruction
- Single hub for content sharing and real-time interaction
- Easy enough for digitally hesitant teachers to adopt
If your school already has a fleet of interactive displays, you‘re in great shape to roll out myViewBoard and make them true learning hubs. But even without, the software stands on its own for any teacher with a laptop and an itch to experiment with new ways of presenting ideas.
Just keep in mind that the free tier will eventually revert to a limited feature set and premium pricing. So take advantage of the fully unlocked Covid offer to run a full pilot and assess the impact on student outcomes. Survey teachers on what capabilities actually move the needle for their lessons.
Implementation tips:
- Appoint a myViewBoard champion at each grade level for training and support
- Start with individual teacher licenses to gauge usage before buying a site license
- Use the whiteboard to document and share best practices between teachers
- Make time for students to learn and practice the collaboration tools
- Advocate for a modern WiFi network if needed to reduce lag and disconnects
Future of Digital Whiteboards
Even as in-person schooling resumes in many areas, the advantages of flexible digital whiteboards ensure they‘ll remain central to a modern learning environment. Teachers and students have grown accustomed to the freedom of creating and connecting from anywhere. There‘s no going back to a purely physical classroom.
Some trends I expect to accelerate:
- Automatic translation and TTS/STT for language learning
- AR/VR integration to explore 3D concepts
- Personalized learning paths and adaptive assessments
- More pre-made templates, assets, and simulations
- Speciality hardware like digital manipulatives
ViewSonic‘s roadmap for myViewBoard includes:
- Expanding AI-driven features to streamline common tasks
- Richer multimedia embedding and capture
- LMS and SIS integrations for grades, attendance
- New widgets for specific subject areas
It‘s an exciting time as technology and pedagogy evolve together to serve learners‘ needs. While not every digital whiteboard is right for every classroom, tools like myViewBoard are essential for any school looking to support authentic, interactive learning experiences – no matter where teacher and student are.