Description
Jamboard is a Google tool that allows users to creatively organize, format, and present information through text, images, shapes, and drawings. Jamboard falls under the category of virtual whiteboards – allowing users to write, draw, and erase like a traditional whiteboard, but also it features added digital functions (e.g., importing from Google Search, Google Drive, or Google Photos). Users can collaborate on the same Jamboard slide from separate devices, making this a community-centered tool. Up to 50 separate Google accounts can be added as collaborators on a single jam. A link to the jam can also be made public, which allows anyone with Internet access to view or edit it. Jamboard can enhance participation by allowing collaborators to visually portray their learning and thinking. This also helps practitioners gain knowledge on what their clients are comprehending in real-time. It is a great tool for collaboration in in-person, online, synchronous, and asynchronous settings.
Current known uses in the sector
- Collaboration with participants during live video meetings and webinars
- Visual collaboration with clients, one-on-one or individual
- Used as part of Google Classroom suite of tools
- Jamboard can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools as a tool to engage with Newcomers visually, brainstorm ideas, capture Newcomer feedback, ideas, insights, suggestions, comprehension, etc.
Video overview
Pricing
Free with a Google Account
Ease of use & Accessibility
Jamboard can be used with a computer mouse or laptop touchpad or with your fingers on a smartphone via the mobile or web app. Unfortunately, Jamboard is not user-friendly for people who can only use a keyboard or who have limited fine motor skills, since a mouse or touchpad is required for many features. Although there aren’t many designated functions for accessibility, changing text size and color is possible and simple to adjust.
Jamboard will only allow the creator to share their jam with 50 collaborators (50 separate google accounts). If the link to the jam is set to “anyone with the link can view or edit” then an unlimited number of people can join, though not more than 50 at the same time can make edits. It is also worth noting that Jamboard has a limit of 20 frames per jam.
Mobile friendly
Yes, works well on mobile devices, including smartphones.
Privacy/security features (including data security and message encryption)
Jamboards can be shared for participants to use anonymously.
When creating a Google account, a valid name, email address, username, and password are required. It is also optional to provide a phone number to recover your account if the password is lost. Upon creation of your account, Google closely tracks your searches, bookmarks, and location services, among other data. These underlying data collection practices and Google’s sharing of your information with third parties make the use of Google tools for personal purposes unsafe.
However, Jamboard falls under Google Workspace for Education, a collection of Google tools that have added security measures for educational purposes. This includes built-in protections such as safeguarding user data and complete data transparency. Google Workspace for Education also complies with both FERPA and COPPA standards. Although Google is typically unreliable with data protection, Google Workspace for Education adds additional precautions to school-related data accounts for its suite of tools, which includes Jamboard.
Make sure you do not use a personal Google account. Your organization should have an account, or you should create a separate account that is specific and only for work-related Jamboards.
Multilingual capabilities
The interface will be in English, but this video highlights how it can be used to support multilingual participants:
Additional resources