Microsoft Whiteboard

What is Microsoft Whiteboard?

Microsoft Whiteboard is a collaborative digital whiteboard that allows you to share drawings, text, graphics, and sticky notes.

Availability

Microsoft Whiteboard is available in three versions. Each version provides comparable levels of functionality, with some small differences.

1. The web version of Microsoft Whiteboard is part of Microsoft Office 365 and available to TC faculty and current students through the myTC portal. Whether you are using a Mac or PC, this version allows users to draw, type, add sticky notes, and share with other users. You can see images and files added from the native clients, but you can not edit or add images or files. 
2. Download available for iOS devices: Allows users to draw, type, add sticky notes, and share with other users, add images, and change backgrounds. The main drawback of this version is that Bing search engine is not integrated into the app, as it is in the PC version.
3. Download as an app for a PC: Most robust version which allows users to draw, type, add sticky notes, share with other users, and add PDFs, PowerPoints, images and other file types.

Accessibility

To optimize accessibility, follow the guidelines below:

1. Ensure that you are using effective alt-text, labels, and titles for images, interactive content and page regions.
2. Divide large datasets into well labeled regions to better break-up the text/image.
3. Be cognizant of blinking or rotating data. Instructors should pay special attention to Whiteboard’s “Collaborative Cursor”, function as it’s blinking and flashing may cause seizures or be unnecessarily distracting for students.
4. Consider creating content in a third-party Microsoft Office tool (E.G. Word, PowerPoint, etc), checking the content’s accessibility in the application’s native checker and then converting or copy/pasting the content into your Whiteboard. Accessibility features will translate cross platform in most cases.
5. For screen reader users, navigate via arrow keys and tab; however some interactive elements require users to toggle between the virtual PC Cursor. You can switch between Virtual PC Cursor On/Off via the keystroke “CapsLock z.”

How to get started

• Documentation:

  • Microsoft Whiteboard at TC
  • Microsoft Whiteboard Help page

Get Support

Faculty should contact the Digital Futures Institute (DFI) to learn more about Microsoft Whiteboard