Information Communication Technology (ICT) continues to play an ever increasing part in our education system. With more of what we do becoming digitized it is no wonder that traditional blackboards and whiteboards are also becoming digitized and replaced with the new generation of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB). This first research topic will examine the use of Interactive Whiteboards. The main issues surrounding the use of IWB include the way they influence the classroom, how they promote student engagement and whether they improve the overall quality of education.
One of the main arguments in favour of the use of IWB is that they allow students to engage in visual imagery in a deeper way than they do with just the spoken word. (Marentette & Uhrick, [nd]) The ability to create dot points and provide images, slides or video clips is a huge advantage and can provide a visual link to theory, thereby engaging students in the subject being taught. History teacher Richard McFahn stated that since IWB were introduced at his school "the students have gone from being completely uninspired to being enthused with the prospect of learning.” (Murray, 2006 p. 13). There is a ludic or fun element to IWB, with the interactive interface, touch screen and the ability to integrate animation, sound, video, and text gives the sense of play which is an important factor in keeping students engaged (Cuthell, 2005).
Besides increasing student class engagement, the use of IWB can provide teachers with the flexibility to tailor lessons to students various learning styles (Cuthell, 2005). This point was illustrated clearly in an article called ‘Use of SMART Boards for Teaching Kindergarten’. Students with limited literacy skills were able to utilise the board to demonstrate an understanding of outcomes in a science lesson through visual cues, the students then touched the screen on the correct answer. This was a way that teachers could test for learning that was previously unavailable to students with limited literacy skills (Preston and Mowbray, 2008).
Further benefits that IWB provide is the advantage the software gives teachers in lesson planning. The ability to cut and paste material in planning and then the immediacy of being able to switch between power points to writing on the boards or to use clips and images is a long way from traditional methods of relying on handouts and posters or needing to set up a television set prior to the class to use a clip or a scene from a movie (Barker, 2007).
While there are many positive views on the use of IWB with their use being internationally regarded and rolled out throughout schools world wide, there are other issues which also need to be considered. First and foremost of these is cost. The technology is quite cost prohibitive at around AUD8,000 for a basic model, making this very expensive to be utilised broadly within a school (Dudeney, 2006). Dudeney goes on to argue that to get the critical mass needed to make training and software licences viable schools need to acquire about half a dozen IWB. The reality is that this can be extremely expensive or unachievable for many schools.
A lack of specialised software for some Key Learning Areas, such as languages was also an issue raised in several articles. This can limit the resources available to some teachers, defeating the purpose of having the technology in the first place and result in IWB being under utilised (Dudeney, 2006).
One point that was often discussed was the training of staff. Appropriate training is essential to ensure IWB are utilised to their potential. If teachers are just given them without training they won’t know how to use them. One UK
It is clear that the use of IWB can take classrooms to a new interactive level. From their desks students can participate in interactive tours, watch clips or videos relevant to the content taught and have a summary of the lesson in a visual format. These are all good educational progressions that are only possible with the use of IWB. Although these progressions may not influence test scores they will engage this tech savvy generation and the links are clear between student engagement and academic achievement at school. Through this research it is also clear that adequate training is important to IWB being properly utilised to their full potential. More Australian research can be undertaken on how much IWB are currently being used in Australian schools and the pedagogical implications of their use. It is important that educators are relevant and find new ways to engage students. Technologies like IWB can do this, however it is important to understand that technology in itself will not solve every need because fundamentally, successful classrooms always come down to good pedagogy.
Bibliography
Bax, S. (2006). Interactive white boards watch this space. IATEFL Call Review summer 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http://associates.iatefl.org/pages/materials/itskills25.pdf
Cuthell, J.P.,(2005), Seeing the meaning: The impact of interactive whiteboards on teaching and learning. BECTA. Retrieved September, 3, 2010 from http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/whiteboards/index/html
Dudeney, G. (2006). Interactive quite bored: IATEFL Call Review summer 2006. Retreived September 4, 2010, From http://associates.iatefl.org/pages/materials/itskills25.pdf
Marentette, L. & Uhrick, A. [n.d.] Reaching learners: Immersive education through interactive multimedia.VP sales & marketing, Nextwindow. Retrieved August 19 2010 from http://www.presentationproducts.com/sites/pproducts.com/files/Infocom%20-%20ReachingLearners.pdf
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