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Peer Review

Jamboard — the whiteboard, reimagined for collaboration in the cloud

Reviewed:
Feb 4, 2022 by Teacher Education
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 5.0 stars
Content Quality: 5.0 stars
Effectiveness: 5.0 stars
Ease of Use: 5.0 stars
Overview:
  • This resource is a digital, real-time whiteboard that can be used on a mobile app or web browser.
  • Users can add images and graphics to Jamboards for collaboration, content creation and student authoring.
Type of Material:

Social Networking Tool

Authoring resource; read-write-draw tool.

Recommended Uses:

in-class, team, collaborations, small group projects, presentations, individual planning, class discussions

  • Teachers can share a Jamboard session with learners or other professional collaborators, whether they are on a Jamboard device, mobile app or using a web browser.
  • Teachers and up to 50 pupils/collaborators can access a session all at once, and can work on a common Jamboard in real time.
  • When using a web browser, each Jamboard browser tab counts as an instructor's session.
  • Users can use this tool during a traditional class, in the online environment, and/or as homework, individual, team, lecture, or self-paced teaching and learning experiences.
Technical Requirements:

School district, college, or university purchase for $5000 plus annual management fee

Google Workspace for Education customers are eligible to purchase a Jamboard with a one-time management and support fee payment of USD $600

Google Suite

Internet access

  • A Jamboard requires power and a network connection to work.
  • The power button is located at the back of the board, along with a volume setting and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input, which is helpful for using the board as a digital display.
  • For optimal performance, the developer recommends that your network has a speed of at least 4 Mbps and latency less than 50 ms when pinging Google's public DNS server at 8.8.8.8.

 

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Jamboard can be leveraged to build communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

The user will be able to:

  • Write and draw with the included stylus.
  • Search Google and insert images or webpages.
  • Drag and resize text and images with one's fingers.
  • Sketch a box, star, cat, or dragon.
  • Use image recognition technology to convert a sketch into a polished image.
Target Student Population:

Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
  • ability to write, move, and resize digital objects with the tips of one's fingers, as one would on a smartphone or tablet.
  • standard English language proficiency

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:

Jamboard is like an interactive whiteboard designed for collaboration that works in in-person settings and remotely. So educational tasks that involve collaboration can make use of Jamboard. The flexibility of the app and the integration with Google Drive make it a tool that groups can use throughout a project from brainstorming and planning to presentation. Files from Google Drive can be easily added to a Jam.

Google indicates that Jamboard (or the Jamboard app) allows users to:

  • Write and draw 
  • Search Google and insert images or webpages
  • Drag and resize text and images with fingers
  • Autodraw: image recognition technology converts user sketch into a polished image
  • Share created jams with collaborators

A Jam can be used to brainstorm and to develop new ideas. In the classroom educators can engage students in problem solving exercises. Jamboard provides a framework for learning and engaging incontent in any discipline.

Concerns:

None

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:

The versatility of Jamboard is its teaching strength. It can be used like a whiteboard with the teacher instructing and students following along. Designing or importing graphic organizers allow educators to use Jamboard in a variety of ways from having students check-in, to checking for understanding, or taking a quick poll. There are some basic drawing tools that can be used to annotate, draw, or brainstorm. Users can also type in text. Other uses might include a parking lot area for ideas from the class, file or photo scavenger hunts that make use of Google Drive files, or pair work at a distance. Whether the learning is synchronous or asynchronous, the simplicity and immediacy of Jamboard engages those who use it and connects them to the content is being addressed.

Concerns:
  • If learners are limited in access to mobile, digital devices or hardware, their participation may be limited.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:

Jamboard provides a variety of easy-to-use editng and annotations tools. There are stock backgrounds to help users. Up to 20 differenet frams can be used at a time to monitor group work. The editor of the jam has the ability to customize sharing and access permissions using a direct link. Work developed on a jam can be exported as a pdf and/or saved to cloud storage. Users can also make a copy of any jam which is automatically saved to the user's Google Drive.

Concerns:
  • Teachers may desire to create uneditable content for the instructional set. All content appears to be unlocked and movable for users.
  • Repeating/reusing a Jamboard for several groups of students or different classes may be challenging.
  • The ability to nest content within a Jamboard, such as video demonstrations or hyperlinks, may pose a challenge.
Other Issues and Comments:
  • This is a fun, interactive authoring tool for 21st century learners and teachers.
  • Promotes creativity and teamwork.
  • Promotes content creation and higher-order thinking skills.
  • Promotes Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills.

 

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