When My Whiteboard Goes Astray, Won’t You Light My Way?

I’m sure everyone remembers the earlier post on a highly valuable resource for system-wide faculty to easily create high production value videos. If you missed it, check out the Faculty Media Production Space sometime. If you want a tour, contact me at mattbart@indiana.edu . I’m happy to report that there is a new toy in this space that takes the room to the next level–a lightboard!

What is it? A lightboard is similar to a whiteboard (it even rhymes!) with the exception that the board is actually clear glass. This glass is surrounded by UV lights, which makes writing made by UV-reactive dry-erase markers light up like the 4th of July. But… why? Until now, when we have wanted to illustrate something or work out a problem, we have been restricted to filming ourselves doing so with our back turned to the camera while we write on the board. In that setup, our voice is directed at the board and therefore muffled, while students get to spend quality time staring at the back of our heads. This is great news for folks like me who have always been told the back of our heads is better than the front, but what about everyone else? With the lightboard set up between the instructor and the camera, the instructor can face the camera while writing on the glass–far better for engaging students as you work out a problem or sketch a diagram. Want to see the lightboard in action? Here’s a video sample that shows it being used in a mini-lecture.

Great. Now I have to learn to write backwards? Not at all. While it’s true that the position of the camera causes writing to appear backwards, we reverse the video after filming so that the letters are facing the correct direction. Just remember that anything you are wearing while filming will appear reversed in the final video, so those “IU” shirts will now be “UI.”

How can you schedule time to use this fine marvel of modern engineering? Easy–just contact your friendly, neighborhood Media Specialist and we’ll talk about your instructional needs and get you set up with a time for recording. If you’re interested in other IU-supported video options, check out what else we can offer with Kaltura.