Lightboard: Remote Teaching: iLightboard App

To use iLightboard, the following equipment is needed:

• iPad with iLightboard installed
• Tripod with iPad mount OR sturdy tabletop stand
• Apple Pencil (recommended)

Contact the Center for Academic Technology (cat@butler.edu) to check availability for these items and schedule an equipment pickup time.

Create a Recording

Note: iLightboard has a blur feature turned on that blurs the screen when you get close to make your annotations. If you prefer to turn this off, select the Settings gear and turn off Auto-Blur.

1. Open the iLightboard app.
2. If you are right-handed, position the iPad landscape with the camera on the left. If you are left-handed, position the camera on the right.
3. Select Create Document.
4. (Optional) Pre-populate any annotations. Using an Apple Pencil is recommended but you can create annotations with your finger.
5. Press the Start Recording button to begin recording the iPads webcam and on-screen annotations.

Import Keynote Slides

For presentation slide overlays, Keynote is the recommended software for creating the original presentation.

1. Create a new Keynote presentation.
2. Set the presentation to Wide mode by selecting the More (...) menu, tapping Document Setup, selecting Slide Size, and selecting 16:9. Then click Done.
3. Set the background to No Fill by tapping the Slide layout (brush icon), selecting Background, and selecting No Fill. Repeat for each slide.
4. Add any graphs, charts, images, etc. to the slides. Remember to leave a window in which you will be visible, e.g. the left or right of the screen.
5. When you are finished creating, tap the More (...) menu, select Export, and choose PDF. 
6. Click Export in the Layout Options window.
7. Select Copy to iLightboard in the Actions window.
8. Your presentation will load in the iLightboard window. Tap once on the presentation. Select Centered (Full Screen) if you created your slides and left a window for you to appear. Otherwise, select another layout option.
9. If you are prompted to move the file, select Move.
10. An iLightboard presentation will open with the imported slides. To begin your recording, tap the Start Recording button.

Lesson planning applies to video recording too!

• Set a clear objective (one topic) for the recording.
• Consider pre-writing or drawing some content.
• Check the Keynote requirements below for best practices.
• Practice annotating before recording.

Background & Setup

• Stand or sit about an arm's length away from the iPad.
• Position the camera at eye level.
• Leave space between the top of your head and the top of the screen.
• Position your llighting source in front of you, not behind you.
• Clean up your surroundings.
• Pay attention to and minimize background noises.

What to Wear

• Wear colors with a strong contrast to your background and to your skin.
• No logo’s – they will be inverted in the recording.
• Jewel tones (ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green) look great on camera. Avoid pastels.
• Use patterns sparingly. Small prints (pinstripes, polka dots, small checkers) can make viewers dizzy.

Annotations

• When possible, use the Apple pencil for annotations (and your finger as an eraser!).
• When writing on the screen, look at what you are writing.
• When talking about something on the board, point at it and look at it.
• When pointing, try to point from the side, not from the back, so your fingers stand out against the background.
• When you aren’t writing or pointing, look at the camera.
• Leave yourself a window and annotate around that window.

During the Recording

• If you are creating a series of videos for the same course you don’t need an intro for each one.
• Make sure you look into the camera when you aren’t writing on the screen.
• When referring to something on the screen, point to it.

Keynote

• If possible, set-up for 16:9 ratio and No Fill background BEFORE you create slides.
• Remember to position content to give yourself a window to be seen.
• Don’t use the usual bullet point talk – BORING!!!

Think about...

• Annotating on real objects projected on the screen.

Example from the University of Toronto

Have you used iLightboard in your class?

Email the Center for Academic Technology (cat@butler.edu) to have your example video added here!