Create a Class with RealBoard
Last updated
Last updated
This section explains how school/university admins can create a class integrated with RealBoard, allowing students to engage with RealLives and share their reflections and learning experiences in a private, school-only social network.
If you are unfamiliar with RealBoard, head on to the RealBoard Manual -
Class Creation Tools Section: Upon logging in, the first page visible under the RealBoard tab is the Class Creation Tools dashboard.
This page shows relevant options for managing classes and student progress.
The prominent box titled "Creating a Global Citizenship Class with RealBoard" allows you to start the process of creating a new class focused on Global Citizenship.
Total Classes: Next to this title, you will also see a counter indicating how many classes are currently active (e.g., "Total Classes: 21").\
After selecting Create a Class, you are taken to the Class Types page. Here, you can choose from four distinct types of classes, each tailored to different educational goals and learning journeys.
You will see four different options to create a class, each serving a unique purpose:
Description: In this class, students are born into a random country, offering them an unpredictable experience of life. This class type encourages students to compare and contrast their lives with others, fostering critical thinking and promoting diversity of perspective.
Purpose: Best for promoting discussions on global diversity and enhancing empathy by placing students in unfamiliar life situations.
Action: Click the Create button to start setting up your Random Life class.
After choosing the class type and editing the board, this final page allows you to configure key details like the class name, description, students, teachers/professors, and assignment dates.
Step 1: Enter Class Name
At the top of the page, you will see a field labeled "Class Name:"
Enter the appropriate name for your class (e.g., Class 9A - Random Country).
This name will help both you and your students easily identify the class.
Step 2: Set the End Date
Below the class name, you can set an End Date for the class.
Click the calendar icon to select the appropriate date by which the class assignments or tasks should be completed.
Once selected, click the check-mark to confirm the date.
Step 3: Specify Age Group
In the Age Group field, enter the relevant age group for the students participating in the class (e.g., 16).
Step 4: Add Class Description
In the Class Description field, you can provide an overview of what the class entails.
Example: “This class will explore life simulations in random countries, encouraging critical thinking and global awareness.”
The description will be visible to students before they begin the simulation. Instructions or objectives can also be provided here to guide students on what they should focus on during the simulation.
Step 5: Add Students
Select students: In the Students section, you can choose which students to include in the class.
On the left side, under Selectable, you’ll see a list of students enrolled in the system. You can search or scroll to find specific students.
Click on a student's name to add them to the class. Their name will move to the Selected column on the right.
Example: Eleanor Roberts, Mia Taylor, Harper Thomas, etc.
Step 6: Add teacher/professor
Select teacher/professors: You can also assign additional teachers/professors to the class.
Scroll through or search for teachers/professors under Selectable. Click on the names of the teachers/professors who should be involved in this class.
The selected teacher/professor will appear in the right-hand Selected column.
Example: Atharva teacher, John Williams, Linda Jones, etc.
Step 7: Finalize Class Creation
Once you've added students, teachers/professors, and finalized other details, click the Create a Class button at the bottom of the screen.
This will create the class and automatically notify all selected students and teachers/professors.
They can then log into RealBoard to access the class and complete their assignments.
After clicking Create, the Edit Board page allows you to customize and configure your class board by naming it and adding sections for students to engage with. Here’s how to use this page effectively
At the top of the page, you will see a field titled "Name your board:".
Enter a suitable name for your class board (e.g., "Global Citizenship Board", "Environmental Issues Class", or "World Cultures Discussion").
Once you've entered the name, click the check-mark icon to save it.
Each class board comes with predefined sections that students will interact with. These sections can be customized to fit the specific goals and learning outcomes of your class.
How to Edit: Click on the pencil icon to the right of the section title to modify the name or description. Customize this section according to your class focus (e.g., students can research countries or reflect on national issues).
After successfully creating your class, you will be directed to the Create/View Classes with Global Citizenship Assignment page. Here, you can manage and view all the classes you've created or are associated with.
Alternately, you can view classes by going to Manage Classes in the sidebar and then clicking on the My Class List section.
At the top, you will see a green confirmation bar that reads "Classes saved successfully." This confirms that your new class has been successfully created and saved in the system.
Once a class is created, students who have been added to the class will automatically receive a notification in their RealLives account.
This notification informs them that they have been added to a new class (e.g., Class 9A - Random Country).
Students can click the notification to view the class and begin playing their assigned life simulation.
School and University admins can easily access the board they’ve created by clicking the RealBoard button in the sidebar of the dashboard.
From there, they can view and manage the board, interact with students' posts, provide feedback, and monitor the progress of assignments.
While the overall process of creating a class in RealLives remains consistent—adding a board name, editing sections, and entering class details—the class type you choose introduces unique features that tailor the learning experience to different objectives. Let’s explore how each class type differs and what specific opportunities they offer -
Note - Random Life was discussed above.
Description: admins can select a specific country for all students to be born in. This is perfect for in-depth explorations of that country’s culture, economy, or societal issues. This class type supports a focused, deep dive into specific countries, ideal for geography, economics, or social studies lessons.
Purpose: Ideal for lessons that require detailed exploration of a particular region.
Action: Click the Create button to begin setting up your Specific Country class.
In the Specific Country class, admins can select a specific country where all students will be born. This allows for focused exploration of that country’s culture, economy, and societal issues.
Choosing a Country: After selecting Specific Country as the class type, use the dropdown menu to select the country for your students to be born in.
Apart from selecting a country, the rest of the class creation flow remains the same as the Random Life process. Please refer to the Random Life flow above for detailed steps on setting up class details, editing board sections, and adding students and teachers/professors.
Description: In this class, students choose a country but are tied to a specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), such as poverty, inequality, or climate action.
Purpose: This is the most impactful class type for global citizenship, SDG-based learning, and encouraging solutions for global challenges.
Action: Click the Create button to start designing your SDG-based class.
In the Life with SDG class, the admin selects one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide the focus of the class. After choosing a goal (e.g., Climate Action, No Poverty), students can:
Select any country to live in.
Explore how the chosen SDG affects life in different regions.
Engage with global challenges in a structured yet flexible way.
Once the admin sets the main SDG, students can further customize their experience by:
Choosing specific sub-goals related to the main SDG (e.g., access to healthcare under Good Health and Well-Being).
Understanding how these challenges play out in various countries.
This class type combines real-world global issues with student freedom, allowing them to explore the impact of SDGs in different contexts. Rest of the class creation flow remains the same.
Description: Custom assignments based on topics like economics, culture, history, or any subject of choice. Admins can tailor the class experience by assigning specific objectives, allowing students to engage with RealLives based on curriculum needs.
Purpose: Best for highly customizable learning experiences focused on specific curriculum requirements.
Action: Click the Create button to begin setting up your Assignment class.
For the Assignments class type, the process is as follows:
Step 1: Choosing a Subject: The school/university admin starts by selecting a subject from the available categories (e.g., Human Geography, Economics, Environment & Ecology). This subject will form the basis of the assignment and guide the learning focus.
Step 2: Selecting an Assignment: After selecting a subject, the admin will choose a specific assignment from a list. These assignments are linked to particular countries based on the chosen subject (e.g., “Be born in a country with the largest population” or “Be born in a country with the lowest girl education”).
Step 3: Students' Experience: Once the assignment is set, students will experience life in the country linked to the selected assignment, enabling them to explore the challenges and dynamics specific to that country.
This approach allows the admin to align assignments with learning objectives while offering students a focused, country-specific simulation. Rest of the class creation flow remains the same.
