Whiteboard

A whiteboard is the name for any glossy surface, most commonly coloured white, where markings can be made. Whiteboards operate analogously to chalkboards - they allow markings that temporarily adhere to the surface of the board and that can be easily removed. Before 1994, most classrooms used chalkboards, but around 1994-1995, whiteboards started to become more affordable and more classrooms started using them.

However, instead of using chalk (as on chalkboards) to make the markings, a special whiteboard marker containing removable ink is used (see non-permanent marker). Whiteboards are usually made of plastic or steel coated with enamel or ceramic material (porcelain steel). Steel whiteboards are magnetic, so one can use magnets to affix notes or a magnetic eraser to them.

The term whiteboard is also used metaphorically to refer to features of computer software applications that simulate whiteboards. Virtual whiteboards allow one or more people to write or draw images on a simulated canvas. This is a common feature of many virtual meeting, collaboration, and instant messaging applications.

Advantages and disadvantages

Whiteboard ink markings are less susceptible to external influences, such as water or accidental erasure, because the ink adheres slightly more strongly than chalk adheres to chalkboards. The ink is also less messy than chalk, which generates chalk dust during use and erasure.

Another advantage is that a whiteboard can be used as the background for a presentation from an overhead projector. This allows the person giving the presentation to fill in blanks or make comments by writing on the whiteboard. For instance, a form can be copied onto the transparency, and the presenter can demonstrate how to fill it in, in the way just described. Even so, using a projector on a white board can produce a glare, making it difficult to read and therefore a projection screen is still a much better surface to project on.

Whiteboards, however, are slightly more expensive than blackboards. In addition, only special whiteboard markers are suitable for use on whiteboards; using other markers that resemble whiteboard markers but that contain the wrong kind of ink creates indelible (or very hard to remove) markings. However, in many cases these markings can be removed by filling over them using a marker with the right type of removable ink, and then erasing the ink.

Also, the white background can cause contrast problems for people with vision impairment, and some people have allergies or sensitivities that are affected by the strong odor of most whiteboard markers. For the latter, reduced-odor markers are available.

Technical advances

Most whiteboards provide temporary viewing of markings. However, there are automated whiteboards that have side-mounted scanners, allowing the markings to be saved electronically for printing or viewing on a computer.

Interactive whiteboards such as a Promethean ACTIVboard or SMART Board allow you to project a computer display onto a whiteboard using a projector. You can then control the application and draw mark-ups by writing directly on the whiteboard screen.

Internet-based whiteboard software such as Microsoft NetMeeting and Groupboard allow people to draw together on a virtual whiteboard over the internet without needing any special hardware. Each user connects to the whiteboard and they can see what other users are drawing in real-time on their computer screen.