When was the last time that you truly enjoyed learning? For most of us, studying and fun just don’t mix. However, thanks to the technologies that are being used in online education today, this is about to change for good. One of the tools that are creating the perfect environment for exciting, interesting, and stimulating studying experiences is the online whiteboard. This simple-to-use software makes it easy to connect, exchange ideas, play games, learn, and explore new concepts in real-time with friends, colleagues, or in teams.
What kinds of fun learning activities can you engage in on the online whiteboard?
1. Games
Playing games never gets old. The activity of playing educational games creates good vibes that improve teamwork and creativity. Games are terrific entertainment and very useful for people of all ages. In today’s world of working and studying remotely, the online whiteboard offers the tools and the environment for you to enjoy new learning activities that will introduce you to interesting concepts and expand your knowledge. Trivia and quizzes are classic choices for fun learning activities that can be played easily in a virtual space with friends or new participants.
Ice-breaking games are ideal for the beginning of a learning session. This type of game that you can play on the online whiteboard aims to set the mood in the virtual classroom and allows the participants to get to know each other. Some of the ice-breaking games can be used not only for conversation starters, but also as learning opportunities.
A great example is “An Alien Has Landed.” The purpose of this icebreaker is to stimulate the creative thinking of the participants and encourage them to ask questions, interact with each other, and think outside the box. The rules of the game are simple. The moderator describes a situation where aliens have landed on a certain place on Earth. What questions would the alien ask about the climate, culture, landscape, etc. of this location? Depending on the group’s preferences, participants can give suggestions on the online whiteboard in the form of text, images, drawings, etc.
One of the most interesting games that make learning more fun is called “Time Machine.” It is a real imagination booster that is easy to play remotely in real time with different groups of people. The moderator chooses a certain time in history to go back to. Everyone creates their own character and describes their personality, profession, and hobbies corresponding to the historical period by adding images, writing, drawing, and doodling on the online whiteboard. To make the game even more fun, the moderator can create scenarios, mysteries, etc. This game is a great way to learn interesting facts about historical events, famous historical figures, cultures, and places.
2. Storytelling
Storytelling is a terrific activity for learning and expanding your knowledge on different topics, while at the same time, encouraging teamwork and creativity. There are countless variations of these storytelling exercises. One of the easiest ways to organize storytelling on the online whiteboard is to begin the exercise with a sentence and then ask each participant to add to the story and write it on the online whiteboard. Storytelling is a great activity for brainstorming sessions such as when the moderator picks a certain topic or scenario and the participants contribute with their knowledge and ideas.
3. Brainstorming
Brainstorming sessions are fun and enriching learning experiences that not only stimulate one’s mind, but also improve the skills for working in groups and creative thinking. They are a great way to create a stimulating environment for learning and exploring new ideas. Thanks to the various features of the online whiteboard, there are different ways to express suggestions and ideas.
The ability to add text and images encourages the participants with visual thinking to contribute to the topic. It is easy to add text and notes, as well as doodle and include diagrams and presentations when needed. There are countless variations of these brainstorming exercises. Usually the group or the moderator selects a topic and the participants share their ideas, opinions, and perspectives. Some of the brainstorming exercises on the online whiteboard include mind mapping, brain writing, and rapid ideation where the participants write down as many ideas as possible within a set time limit.
Learning no longer has to be boring if it is done right. The online whiteboard opens up opportunities to explore extraordinary ways of studying and acquiring new skills and knowledge through stimulating and entertaining activities that can be enjoyed by anyone at any age from anywhere in the world.