With video, whiteboard, and screen-sharing functionality, the Knack Online Classroom is an all-in-one environment designed to help you provide the best tutoring experience possible.
To use the Knack Online Classroom, you must first schedule an online session.
By default, once browser permissions are enabled, audio/video/whiteboard will be enabled upon entering the classroom.
How do I join the video call?
Join an online session. Head to the session details and select 'Join Video Call'
Enable video and audio in your browser. Make sure you enable Knack to access your camera and microphone via your browser settings.
Start talking. Make sure that others can hear and see you before beginning the tutoring session.
Have your session.
How do I use the whiteboard?
Join the classroom. The whiteboard is enabled by default when you join an online session.
Collaborate. The whiteboard is real-time and collaborative between all participants.
The Online Classroom now includes a revamped whiteboard powered by Excalidraw. The new whiteboard provides a larger workspace and new tools for drawing, collaborating, and creating diagrams.
How do I draw on the board?
The whiteboard uses an infinite canvas, so you can move around the board and zoom in or out as needed.
If you get lost while navigating the canvas, select Scroll back to content to quickly return to the relevant content. You don't need to refresh the page.
You can also change the board's background color and choose the drawing color you prefer.
Live cursor tracking shows the mouse position of other participants on the canvas, making it easier to follow along as you collaborate.
You can export the board's contents to image files with various customization supported. You can also save all the raw data to a file so that it can be re-imported into a different Classroom session later.
The whiteboard supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts.
Select Help from the whiteboard menu to see the complete list of available shortcuts.
How do I create diagrams from text?
You can create diagrams from text using Mermaid, a text-based format for describing diagrams.
To create a Mermaid diagram:
Open the More tools menu in the whiteboard toolbar.
Select Mermaid to Excalidraw.
Paste or type your Mermaid text.
Insert the diagram onto the board.
Once the diagram is on the board, you can edit each shape just like any other drawing.
How do I use the sidebar?
The new sidebar on the right side of the page gives you access to the other Session tools.
To open it, select the Sidebar button at the top right of the page. Each tool has its own icon.
The sidebar includes:
Chat: Send messages to the other people in the session.
Equation, code, and text editor: Write equations, code, or notes during the session.
Session details: See information about the current session.
Transcript history: Read a written record of what people said during the session.
You can dock the sidebar so it stays open next to the whiteboard while you draw.
When the sidebar is docked, the video tiles move to the left so they remain visible while you work.
How do I use Closed Captions?
The Online Classroom supports real-time Closed Captions, allowing you to read spoken dialogue as it happens.
When enabled, captions appear as a floating overlay at the bottom of the screen. Each caption includes the participant's name along with their transcribed speech.
Closed Captions can be especially helpful for students and tutors who are deaf or hard of hearing, non-native English speakers following along in English, or anyone in a noisy environment where audio may be difficult to hear clearly.
How do I turn Closed Captions on or off?
Select the CC button in the Classroom toolbar to turn Closed Captions on or off.
Caption settings are individual to each participant. Turning captions on or off only changes your own view and does not affect anyone else in the session.
Can I review what was said earlier?
Yes. Transcript History provides a scrollable record of everything said during the session.
You can open Transcript History from the Classroom sidebar to review earlier parts of the conversation without interrupting the flow of the session.
How do I share my screen?
Join the classroom. And confirm your audio (and video) preferences are enabled.
Share your screen. Click 'Share' to display what you see, in one window or on your entire screen, to everyone who is in the session. Only one person can share their screen at a time.
Stop when you're done.
Complete the session
For Tutors: End the session timer or select 'Leave Call' → 'Log Time & Leave Call'.
For Students: Select 'Leave Call' and make sure to leave your tutor a review.
You can select Leave Call from the classroom controls or from the menu in the top-left corner of the whiteboard.
Best Practices
The whiteboard includes built-in descriptions for each tool and keyboard shortcuts to help you get familiar with the available features.
If you get lost on the whiteboard, select 'Scroll back to content' to quickly return to the active content. There's no need to refresh the page.
When sharing your screen, make sure you're looking at a screen other than the online session as this will cause a looping effect.
Dock the sidebar when you need to reference session tools while working on the whiteboard.
FAQs
What devices/browsers are supported?
View our supported devices/browsers.Can you add this feature to the whiteboard?
We'd love to! Message us (by clicking the bubble in the bottom right) to let us know your ideas. Your feedback is tremendously important in helping us prioritize.Are Closed Captions available in the Online Classroom?
Yes. Select the CC button in the Classroom toolbar to turn real-time Closed Captions on or off.
Can I review the conversation from earlier in the session?
Yes. Open Transcript History from the Classroom sidebar to review what was said earlier in the session.
For more information and support, check out our help center or chat with us by clicking the bubble in the bottom right corner of any page.