Understanding the Learning Glass lightboard
In today’s new world of remote learning and working from home, professionals and educators need tools that allow them to connect with their colleagues and audiences without sacrificing convenience or clarity. “Talking head”-style instructional videos don’t engage audiences or provide ways to illustrate material, and audio recordings don’t deliver the kind of visual reinforcement that students and audiences need to absorb the content.
That’s why Dr. Matt Anderson and the Learning Glass team developed the original lightboard for teachers and presenters.
Designed to bridge the gap between presenter and audience, Learning Glass lightboards consist of a tempered, low-iron glass screen paired with a vibrant blue illumiclear™ LED that clearly illuminates writing while keeping the teacher visible to audiences. Paired with a digital camera, the Learning Glass lightboard provides an easy way to record and share video presentations.
Why use a lightboard?
With so many school districts and universities switching many of their classes to remote learning, teachers are adapting to a new world of technology as they strive to stay connected with students. Meanwhile, business professionals are learning to share their ideas across vast distances with technology as the link between brands and colleagues.
Unfortunately, standard video recordings often don’t convey the depth of understanding sought by teachers and business presenters. Education research increasingly demonstrates that remote learners struggle to absorb complex material if they’re unable to see the instructor. Gesture and eye contact are core elements of any speaker’s toolkit—without them, instructors may be wasting valuable lesson time recording videos that don’t help their students succeed.
Lightboards for teachers, like the Learning Glass, provide a way for teachers to visualize material for students while retaining visibility that enhances the student-instructor bond. Recent research also shows that integrating video into lesson plans and curricula is highly effective in improving student outcomes. Video encourages more active learning by students and helps to promote student independence, but these benefits are handicapped when the student can’t see the teacher. With Learning Glass lightboards, students can see both the material and the instructor, facilitating a closer rapport and a more productive lesson every time.
The same principles of active learning apply to adults in professional settings, where video conferencing and remote webinars are becoming more and more common as fewer workers report to the office every day. When you’re trying to connect with a potential client and earn a new account, you don’t need shoddy video technology getting in the way with poor production values. A lightboard makes it easy for presenters to engage their audience and make their points in a compelling way without the need for in-person meetings.
How does the Learning Glass lightboard work?
Designed for connection and convenience in equal measure, Learning Glass lightboards allow instructors and presenters to shoot high-quality video without the need for camera crews or a video studio.
Both the small (33”) and large (66”) Learning Glass lightboards can be set up on any tabletop or flat surface. Writing on the board is easy—our lightboards feature scratch-resistant glass that prevents most smudges and squeaks while writing with the included neon marker set. Our lightboards are designed to look clear and crisp when you record video with an iPhone, iPad, or another smartphone or HD digital camera and a tripod. A digital in-line video flipper will reverse the image as you record, providing a properly oriented presentation even if you’re streaming live. Don’t worry about lighting yourself or the board—the built-in lights illuminate both content and instructor so that you’re clearly visible in the final video. We recommend placing the Learning Glass lightboard in front of a black wall or using the black fabric backdrop that’s included with our studio kits. For audio, you can use the sound collected by your camera or mobile device, or use a lavalier (lapel) microphone for higher-quality voice audio.
How to buy a lightboard
Both sizes of the Learning Glass lightboard are available for purchase directly from the Learning.Glass website. Explore our product line for lightboard sizes and studio kits, which include camera, microphone, and other useful accessories for getting the most out of your lightboard.
Sources
