Building a Custom Lightboard: Portable, robust and tall!

My forthcoming National Education Summit presentation covers what I believe to be the full range of instructional video outputs and methods for creation. The goal of the presentation is to introduce teachers to the range of possibilities that exist and to consider which of these they are prepared, or already equipped to implement in their own settings. To support this, there are suggestions around tools that may need to be purchased and leading experts, besides myself, who would be good contacts in moving towards these methods. The ‘Forms of Instructional Video’ below are my current understanding of the available forms, in what must be considered an ongoing project of discovery:

Forms of Instructional Video
External Document Camera
Phone as Document Camera		DSLR and Tripod w/ Directional Mic
Face-to-Webcam Camera	Purchased Lightboard	Swivl with Phone and Wireless Mic	Notestreaming
Within PowerPoint Screen Capture	D-I-Y Lightboard construction	Device & External Microphone	Live removal of Green Screen
Screen Capture	Whiteboard and Phone	Phone & Tripod	Talking torso and Post-Production
Screen Capture	Boards	Classroom Observation / V.O.D.	Green Screen

Can be Produced without Editing

Requires Editing

It is worth noting that I will have the tools and the means for producing the vast majority of these, with one notable exception: both D-I-Y lightboards and purchased lightboards. As I have written about in other places (https://flippedlearning.org/how_to/green-screen-flipped-learning-videos-under-60/), I believe that Green Screen technology is more achievable for the vast majority of teachers looking to implement a cheap and impressive form of instructional video. I prefer green-screen technology for its ease of set-up, construction and wealth of available guides on creating your own set-up. Yet, this is not without thinking or forethought, so, below I will outline the construction of my own Custom, D-I-Y lightboard that I hope will give an overview of the possibilities of the technology, but also suggest some of the complexity and commitment required to properly build this tool.

My own lightboard builds on the superb work of Joel Sperenza (http://joelsperanza.com/flipped-learning/build-a-lightboard-on-a-budget/) and Steve Griffiths (https://flippedlearning.org/how_to/how-to-make-a-lightboard-for-less-than-100/) and their superb pieces on their own processes for creating a lightboard. The focus of the above two blogs are on achieving a functional result on a budget, for my production of a lightboard the focus was on three core design elements:

1. Portability

2. Strength and robustness

3. Height

Each of these concepts will be explained, and then I will note how this goal was achieved.

Portability

This is not always necessary or important for lightboards, especially those constructed in situ, ala, within a school or learning space directly. These forms of lightboards are similar to built-in robes that you might find in a home, they are created within the space that they are to function within. As such, these types of boards can be heavy, strong and relatively unwieldy. My goal for my board was to have it theoretically possible to move by putting on my cars roof-racks, though the risk involved in this means that I am unlikely ever to do so. I was not entirely clear about whether I would end up using my board at my school, or moving it to a new house, or perhaps even relegating it to the shed. With this in mind, I set out to purchase a portable whiteboard that could be built and un-built with relative ease.

Strength and robustness

The two possible forms of rigour that a lightboard needs to face are movement and interactions with students, or worse still, clumsy teachers. The focus of this element rests largely on the glass that is selected, as the glass retailer will basically give you the option of standard glass, reinforced, bullet-proof etc. The advice I received from those who went before me was that re-enforced was recommended if there were any possibility of being put in front of students and / or teachers. So this is the option that I took, albeit this did add on to the cost of the finally constructed board.

Height

The primary concern of mine was that the board be able to accommodate me within its frame, as I stand at 2 metres, 6 foot 7 inches, this would not prove an easy task. The goal was not only for the board to work for me, but also be appropriate to an average height individual without adjustment or modification.

Part of my primary concern with lightboards as a means to produce instructional videos is the cost associated with purchased boards, and the need for construction to create a D-I-Y board, in my opinion it is these two things that hold back this tool from wider acceptance into my area of expertise. Government Secondary schools, instead, this exciting learning tool is most common in University campuses around the world. For me personally, I am not the most capable when it comes to construction so I enlisted the help of my tradesman father who was integral in getting my highfalutin ideas from the page (and the webpage) and it the real world.

The Build

The sourcing of materials was the longest process by far in the construction of my board, due to the design elements outlined above. In short, I purchased a very large whiteboard (1500x1200) that when assembled stood at 1600x2100 high, then we removed the size of the glass from the whiteboard material. By leaving a recess in the whiteboard material, we affixed the glass within the mass of the whiteboard, leaving the portable whiteboard set-up in-tact. Then within the recess between the newly cut-out area, we affixed the LED strip lighting and used foam padding to make the difference between the gap and the space required. The LED strip lighting required two sets and was attached as a result to two light switches, which allows a level of ‘dimming’ by selecting whether both sets of LEDs are on or now. This allows for some differentiation between filming settings without the need to tweak the camera ISO too heavily or similar. Then, using wooden off-cuts we affixed the glass from the back of the board, effectively closing off all of the available gaps between the board, the glass and the back of the board. The final step was using a clear sealant to seal the bottom ledge between the glass and the whiteboard, as this is where cleaning products collect after cleaning the board.

The two light switches to activate the LED strip lighting sitting within the recess in the whiteboard. Note the temporary wooden frame interior, that was later surrounded by foam padding.

The final things I used are as follows:

Materials

Portable (extremely large) whiteboard - $250 (Second-hand)

‘Starfyre’ reinforced glass - $250

LED Strip lighting X 2 (with switches) - $30

Clear ‘No-gaps’ sealant

Tools

Angle Grinder

Saws

Caulking Gun

Cordless Drill

Gloves, eye protection, ear protection etc.

Improving video production

In terms of video production, I have yet to get the lightboard outputs to a standard that I think is appropriate to make videos for students. Indeed, this project is currently on hiatus whilst I look to sell my home and move to a new suburb. I have greatly upgraded my video equipment, tripod and microphone in line with the quality of the lightboard set-up. All that remains is to combine these elements in a newly to be purchased studio (read: House) so that I can work on improving the backdrop and camera shade to deliver the best possible contrast. The next step is to improve the ‘talent’ lighting, including a hair light, and two lights to illuminate me from the side. Finally, the camera settings that best make the writing pop and disguise the smudges inherent with a lightboard are things to address at a later date.

Final thoughts

I hope this account of considering my needs for a lightboard, a brief summary of the construction and some ongoing issues for me to address and resolve to produce the best possible outcome has shown that the possibilities of making a lightboard are easier than you may have thought and can be adapted as necessary. Overall, my lightboard cost perhaps $600, noting that my focus was not at all on budget, but rather on producing an output that was of most use to me. You could remove all three design constraints that set the agenda for my lightboard and produce a board quite comfortably for $200 or less. If you are looking to build your own lightboard I would recommend contacting on of the following experts on Twitter and asking them questions as needed: Joel Sperenza (@JoelBSperanza), Steve Griffiths (@Sciencesteveg ), myself (@steven_kolber ) Furthermore, you could come and meet me at National Education Summit ……. Or at RECON2019 at Griffith Universities, where we will have lightboards for you to try and many with expertise in this area in attendance.

Scroll down to look at some images with Captions that will help you to picture the process of construction.

	The Whiteboard, before removing the inset to allow the glass to be inserted in, similar to a picture frame.
	The first proof of principle test with the glass inset within the whiteboard frame and the LED strip lighting affixed, but not yet fully attached.
	The glass now firmly affixed within the frame. LED lights installed, note the smudging and fingerprints on the glass, because at this point we had yet to learn how to properly clean the glass.
	The completed Lightboard as constructed. Note the fridge that in the past served as the cheapest tripod that was 2m tall.
	The lightboard fully folded down and proof of its portability. The glass and whiteboard element it is robust enough to stand up by itself and the legs and support struts all fold away reasonably well.