As the amount of technology in classrooms continues to increase, it’s important to understand the different tools available. Two of the most common devices you’ll see in a classroom are smartboards and digital whiteboards. The main difference between the two is how they are used, their capabilities, and how easy it is to use them.
SmartBoard
A SmartBoard is essentially a touch-sensitive board that is typically mounted on a wall or a stand. It can be used in the same way as a regular whiteboard, but it has some digital features that give it extra functionality. A smartboard is considered an interactive board that can be used as an annotation tool for content projection, but it also has built-in software that allows users to use a variety of different tools that aren’t available on a traditional whiteboard. Smartboards allow you to connect via Bluetooth or USB to things like presenters, keyboards, and tablets. This allows users to cast their screens and mark them up for everyone to see. Smartboards can also scan documents and save annotations and marked-up content to an internal hard drive or a cloud-based service.
Digital Whiteboard
A digital whiteboard is simply a whiteboard that can be accessed digitally. It’s usually in the form of a large screen that can be connected to a computer, enabling users to project their screen onto the board. It allows users to annotate and mark up content using a digital marker or their own finger. Digital whiteboards are often used in conjunction with smartboards to give users the ability to erase and annotate what is being projected onto them. Unlike smartboards, digital whiteboards don’t usually come with built-in software, so they require a computer to connect to in order to utilize their full range of functions.
Summary
The main differences between smartboards and digital whiteboards are the capabilities and range of tools available. A smartboard can be used as a digital whiteboard, but a digital whiteboard cannot necessarily act as a smartboard. A smartboard can be used without a computer, whereas a digital whiteboard will need to be connected to one to leverage annotation tools and other functions.
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