An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool consisting of a large interactive display in the form factor of a whiteboard. The whiteboard can be a standalone touchscreen computer used independently to perform tasks and operations, or a connectable apparatus used as a touchpad to control computers from a projector.
The instructor can manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the instructor can make handwritten notes, which can be transformed into text and saved.
The hardware is used in many environments, including classrooms at all levels of education. Interactive whiteboards let teachers draw on the screen from the front of the room and save their lessons. They offer the opportunity to teach differently while using current teaching tools.
They are a powerful tool in the classroom adding interactivity and collaboration, allowing the integration of media content into the lecture and supporting collaborative learning. Used inventively they create a wide range of learning opportunities.
This software combines the simplicity of traditional teaching tools with the benefits that the ICTs in education bring. It runs on an interactive screen (tablet, Tablet PC) on any type of interactive whiteboard or simply on a personal computer to prepare presentations.
Our gold medal winner is Openboard. It’s a real media compilation tool. It allows users to benefit from the essential contribution of handwriting while adding visuals, images, graphics, videos, or browse the Internet. All these media can be annotated and completed, passages highlighted, or commented with an interactive stylus.
All of our medal winners are, of course, released under a freely distributable license and can be downloaded without charge. With even tighter constraints facing the public sector, cost is an important consideration for any information and communication technology solution.
| Interactive Whiteboards - Best Open Source Software | |
|---|---|
 | OpenBoard is cross-platform teaching software for interactive whiteboard designed primarily for use in schools and universities. It can be used both with interactive whiteboards or in a dual-screen setup with a pen-tablet display and a beamer. Supported platforms are Windows (7+), OS X (10.9+) and Linux (tested on Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04). http://openboard.ch/ License: GNU General Public License v3 |
 | python-whiteboard is software that lets you build and operate a low-cost electronic whiteboard. The software uses a bluetooth-connected remote and an IR LED source to act as a mouse. https://github.com/pnegre/python-whiteboard/wiki/ License: GNU General Public License v2 |
 | Xournal is for notetaking, sketching, and keeping a journal using a stylus. Together with python-whiteboard, it makes a useful interactive whiteboard. http://xournal.sourceforge.net/ License: GNU General Public License v2 |
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very useful and informative! many thanks!
I teach using a XP-Pen Deco Fun pen tablet, microsoft whiteboard and OneNote program. The drawing tablet works great for digital writing . Still has pressure sensitivity, etc.