In this page, we introduce ways to handwrite on something like an online blackboard when holding class. Roughly broken up, there are three methods.
Using a tablet to write on the board
Here, we will show you how to use an iPad or other tablet to write on a board by hand or other tools in a class.
The writing is done on a tablet such as an iPad using a pen for tablets, and the writing is then shared on the screen via Zoom. Instead of a blank board, you can write on a PDF slide, or create a PDF file of your writing and distribute it after the class. There are several types of applications available, each of which supports different types of tablets and tablet pens. Here are some of the most popular ones.
- Using “GoodNotes 5” as an application
- The tablet and pen are basically used with an iPad and Apple Pencil (Windows and Android are not supported).
- It is a paid application and can be purchased for 980 yen.
- Explanation article: Writing on GoodNotes 5
- Practical example: Good practices of online class / Dr. Tadashi Shiraishi, Law I (in Japanese) (A video presentation by Dr. Shiraishi is available only by on-campus members at the 25th Online Class Information Exchange Meeting page (in Japanese))
- Practical example: Good Practices of online class / Dr. Nobukazu Saito Computational Mathematics I, Computational Mathematics (in Japanese)
- Using “Microsoft OneNote” as an application
- It is supported not only by iPad but also Windows and Android tablets.
- Basic functions are available for free. Additional paid functions are also available under the University of Tokyo’s UTokyo Microsoft License.
- Explanation article: Writing on OneNote
- Practical example: Good Practice of Online Class / Dr. Kaoru Irie Mathematical Statistics I, II (in Japanese) (A video report by Dr. Irie is available only by on-campus members at the 20th Online Class Information Exchange Meeting page (in Japanese))
- Using Zoom’s “Annotate (Comment)” function
- With Zoom, you can write handwritten “annotations (comments)” on a screen shared by screen sharing. You can also write on a blank whiteboard by selecting “Whiteboard” when sharing a screen. However, the function is limited, for example, you cannot scroll through the written content, so it is suited for quick writing.
- You can find an explanation of how to use Zoom’s screen sharing in the “Annotate while sharing screen” section of the Zoom page.
- Practical example: Practical example of online writing on a board using a tablet or electronic whiteboard (Dr. Sagawa, Graduate School of Engineering)
- Using other methods
- Using a single Windows tablet to handwrite on PowerPoint and other documents while streaming via Zoom (Dr. Sasatani, Kawahara Lab., Information Science and Technology): Video demonstrates various ways to handwrite on a tablet.
- Using a PC and a tablet to give a blackboard-like lecture (Dr. Kumada and Dr. Suzuki, Engineering): They introduced how to connect an iPad and a PC using AirPlay or a wired cable, join Zoom on the PC, and share the screen written on the iPad via the PC. This method is useful when you want to teach while switching between slides and the board as needed.
- For more information on this feature, please also refer to Zoom’s official help “Sharing your iOS screen from the Zoom desktop client”.
- InkLecture (Dr. Igarashi, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology): He introduced “InkLecture,” a simple board writing application for Windows 10.
Using a Document Camera to Share Lecture Notes With the Class
This section introduces how to use a document camera to share handwritten lecture notes in class. The method is to prepare a piece of paper, write on it with a pen, take a picture or video of it with a document camera, and transmit the picture or video via Zoom. The specific method depends on the model of the camera, but there are two types: one is to use the images from the document camera as a camera input for Zoom, and the other is to display the images from the camera on the screen and broadcast it via Zoom’s screen sharing function. The key point is to use a thick pen and check the visibility of the pen in advance so that students can see what you have written.
The following is information on this method shared by a faculty and staff member of the University.
- How to Use a Smartphone and a Writing Camera to Give a Handwritten Lecture on a PC (Dr. Koseki, Graduate School of Engineering): This article explains how to use a document camera in combination with slides to give a lecture. He also presents a video of an actual mock class using a document camera.
Taking pictures of a blackboard or whiteboard and write on it
Here, we introduce a method to take pictures of a blackboard or whiteboard with a PC camera and stream the pictures via Zoom for writing by hand in class.
The key point is to check the visibility of the camera and the size of the text in advance so that the students can see what you have written.
Below is some information about this method that was shared with us by our faculty staff.
- Online Lectures with a Single PC [PowerPoint] [Movie (MPEG4)] (Dr. Kawahara, Graduate School of Engineering): Video explains how to conduct board lectures online.
- In the video of the Online Classroom Consultation Specializing in Language Learning (March 27, 2020), between 1:14:57 and 1:24:30, Dr. Hitoshi Aida of the Graduate School of Engineering shows us how to set up a PC in front of a whiteboard or blackboard in this video.