Learning Technology Index

  

Miro*

group worklearning object creatorasynchronouscommunicationinteractivecontent delivery

What is it?

Miro is a free online whiteboard platform that allows instructors and their students to collaborate during classes.

What is its purpose?

The primary purpose of the tool is to encourage student participation, enhance engagement and create better learning experiences. 

How do I use it?

To access the tool, new users are required to sign up using their work or organizational email. After logging in, users can then join available teams in their organization, request access to teams, or create their own teams and invite others to join.

Android users can download the Miro App from Play Store, and iOS users can download the App from App Store. Additional information on using Miro on mobile and desktop devices and system technical requirements can be found on the Download Miro Page, including MacOS and Windows applications. 

Why would I use it?

  • The free version provides a large number of features that could be useful in teaching.
  • You have the privilege of restricting entry into your team.
  • You can integrate your board into other applications like Webex and Zoom.
  • You can share audio and video on the App even if you do not integrate your board into video hosting platforms like Webex and Zoom. 

Quick Facts
Category
Synchronous Sessions
Rating Level 
Web Search
Website
Miro*
Last Modified
25 January 2024
Created
30 August 2021
License Available 
No
More Info

Security Concerns
Yes
Technical Support 
Vendor
Platform(s) 
Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS

Ratings Information

CITL Rating

Select any category below for details about the criteria for each rating.

Functionality: ★★☆
Scale:★★☆
Minor Concerns. While the tool can be scaled to any class size, instructors have to create a new team for a sub-group. This means that you cannot have a smaller group within a group.
Ease of Use:★★★
Works Well. The tool has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and personalize for both instructor and learner. Use is intuitive for both instructor and learner.
Tech Support/Help Availability (for Instructors):★★☆
Minor Concerns. Minor Concerns; No campus-wide technical support is available.
Tech Support/Help Availability (for Students):★★☆
Minor Concerns. Minor Concerns; No campus-wide technical support is available.
Hypermediality :★★★
Works Well. The tool allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) and allows for non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with the material.
Accessibility: ★★★
Accessibility Standards:★★★
Works Well. The tool meets accessibility guidelines (i.e. W3C WCAG 2.0 standards)
User-focused participation:★★★
Works Well. The tool is designed to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning.
Required Equipment:★★☆
Minor Concerns. A computer device with audio and video features is required to use the tool.
Technical: ★★★
Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS) :★★☆
Minor Concerns. The tool can be integrated into a secondary video hosting tool like WebEx which can be embedded into Brightspace with full functionality.
Operating Systems:★★★
Works Well. Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date operating system.
Web Browser:★★★
Works Well. Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date web browser.
Additional Technical Requirements:★★★
Works Well. Users do not need to download additional software or browser extensions. Additional accounts or software is not required.
Mobile Design: ★★☆
Access:★★★
Works Well. The tool can be accessed, either through the download of an app or via a mobile browser, regardless of the mobile operating system and device.
Functionality:★★★
Works Well. There is little to no functional difference between the mobile and the desktop version, regardless of the device used to access it.
Offline Access:★☆☆
Serious Concerns. You can not access the tool without internet service.
Usage and Account Set Up: ★★☆
Sign Up/Sign In:★☆☆
Serious Concerns. All users must create an account with Miro to access the tool.
Cost of Use:★★☆
Minor Concerns. The tool is not entirely free, but users who have affiliations with educational institutions can use it at full capacity without paying a premium.
Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data :★★☆
Minor Concerns. While the boards created will be automatically saved in the user's dashboard, they cannot be downloaded or exported as a document. However, links to created boards can be shared with other people.
Data Privacy and Ownership:★★★
Works Well. Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; the user can keep data private and decide if / how data is to be shared.
Social Presence: ★★★
Collaboration :★★★
Works Well. The tool has the capacity to support a community of learning through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users.
User Accountability:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Students may decide to use fictitious names to log into the team board, but their instructors would be able to hold each member of the team accountable because they must have signed in using their institutional email address.
Diffusion:★★★
Works Well. The tool reports over 20 million users across the globe. Also, the basic principle of use of the tool is widely known by most learners, tutors, and corporate team members.
Teaching Presence: ★★★
Facilitation:★★★
Works Well. The tool has easy-to-use features that would significantly improve an instructor’s ability to be present with learners via active management, monitoring, and engagement.
Customization:★★★
Works Well. The tool is adaptable to its environment: easily customized to suit the classroom context and targeted learning outcomes.
Learning Analytics:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Although instructors can clearly see students' participation in a group, the data cannot be presented in a particular way other than the annotations made on the tool itself.
Cognitive Presence: ★★★
Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s):★★★
Works Well. The tool enhances engagement in targeted cognitive task(s) that were once overly complex or inconceivable through other means.
Higher Order Thinking:
Not Applicable. The primary purpose of the tool is to simulate physical class experiences with writing on the board.
Feedback on Learning:★★★
Works Well. Through the tool, learners can regularly receive formative feedback on learning (i.e. they can track their performance, monitor their improvement, test their knowledge, etc.)

Security and Privacy

This service is not offered by Memorial University and has not been reviewed by Information Management and Protection. Boards that are created without restrictions may be accessible to people who are within your organization but outside of your team/class. Also, anyone who has the unique invite link to your board will be able to access it.

Support Information

The Miro website has a Support and Help Center Page with a large database of information to assist users. Also, there is an Online Community Page where all users of the tool meet to provide support to each other.  

Contact

Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

230 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, NL, CANADA, A1B 3X9

Postal Address: P.O. Box 4200, St. John's, NL, CANADA, A1C 5S7

Tel: (709) 864-8000