GoBoard.com is a new free website that allows one-on-one communication to tutor or collaborate anywhere in the world. The website communicates via video chat with the assistance of a virtual blackboard.
The Official Private Tutoring Website of Colleges and Universities launched the free website this year. The site was developed by students at the University of Florida.
Students on GoBoard.com can invite a tutor, classmate or educator to join a board to collaborate via video chat. The site features a digital blackboard to upload notes, pictures and tools so users can draw concepts and problems on the blackboard. Multiple boards can be used for any type of tutoring or collaboration.
“My favorite feature is the ability to text in from your phone your notes from class and share them with a classmate,” BYU student Miguel Vanegas said, “There is no hassle when importing and dragging images.”
Users can access graphing calculators and other tools specific to subjects as well as importing photos. GoBoard.com is also working on making more extensive tools for specific subjects.
These features are free and do not require account registration like other programs such as Skype.
This website is an addition to a current site, TutorMatchingService.com.
Sponsoring schools like BYU—Idaho and Boise State University allow students to look for local tutors to be hired from no charge to $15 an hour. This service has helped avoid costly tutoring institutions charging upwards of $65–$95 an hour. It also helps to provide jobs for students.
GoBoard.com allows the convenience of video chatting anywhere. This creates more tutors worldwide and access to less costly tutors. The ability to chat at anytime and anywhere a virtual blackboard anywhere benefits both students and tutors.
GoBoard.com Assistant Director Elizabeth DiMartino feels the best way to improve its products and student-tutor collaboration is to have students use the website and then give feedback.
“We want the site to stay free to students,” DiMartino said. “We also want to continue a service that is for the students by the students.”
