Oneboard — Real-time Streaming Whiteboard
JANUARY 30, 2021 — Sidd Iyer is the founder of Oneboard Inc., a content creation and sharing platform where students, teachers, and tutors can use real-time whiteboard technology to teach online lessons or create interactive video presentations. With an infinitely sized canvas and the tools to upload nearly any type of content (including but not limited to: websites, videos, PowerPoint) onto a board, oneboard.live can turn a basic lecture on Zoom’s screen share into an interconnected online classroom experience.
With the founding team members Yiming Xuzhou and Suneel Freimuth, Iyer works as the CEO and head of technology/operations. With a generation-defining expertise in computer science, Iyer was learning computer engineering at UCI when he realized just how problematic Zoom lectures could be. During a class where his professor was screen recording himself using a physical whiteboard, Iyer immediately noticed the inefficient use of data that resulted in a laggy, incoherent lesson. That’s when he decided to invent a website that allows you to see a teacher or tutor drawing instantly, on a connected screen.
Although it started as a simple online whiteboard, Oneboard has expanded over the competition with a built-in lesson recording application, dedicated art tools, and the ability to share content and knowledge instantly and seamlessly. Oneboard’s engine was built with the advantage of having a true real-time stream that encourages students to engage and annotate in the content, instead of copying down the information. It also boasts an intuitive UI, powerful permissions, and a fully functional drive that rivals Google.
Oneboard’s mission is to bring back the collaboration and connection that we used to experience in our physical classrooms. With our current pandemic era, the shift from in-person classes to virtual has been dramatic. Adapting has been difficult, especially for the teachers who either have to hire or become pseudo IT technicians to resolve the inevitable issues that come up during Zoom classes. By providing teachers with a one-stop-shop for teaching, sharing content, and connecting with students, Oneboard looks to reduce the pressure of relying on high-volume Zoom meetings. Instead, students will be able to view the teacher’s board on their own devices, where all the content is stored in the cloud, without the risk of disconnecting.
According to Forbes magazine, the key to effective learning lies in the acronym AGES: Attention, Generation, Emotion, and Spacing. We learn best when we are giving full attention to a subject, generating our own connections to it, and staying emotionally engaged. With about 65% of us being visual learners, Oneboard seeks to help us learn in a way that’s been proven to be most efficient.
