Research for using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom
As the government investedso much money in interactive whiteboard technology there is much research going on to ascertain if this is money well spent. . More and more about the impact of interactive whiteboards on teaching and learning can be found in published books at the library. l. On this page ytou can find some of the more interesting findings of researchers and give pointers to websites where you can find out more information.
Julie Coghill, after some small-scale research involving three teawho have used the interactive whiteboard regularly, concluded that whiteboards have the potential to: Enable the integration of ICT into classroom practice Provide greater interactivity in whole-class teaching Give access to a wide variety of ICT and internet teaching resources for whole class use Increase the professionalism of teachers * Taken from “Some effects on teaching with an interactive whiteboard in a primary school” in Computer Education Issue 106 NAACE
Becta carried out an online survey in which 103 respondents gave their opinion as to what they see as “enabling factors” with regard to the development of ICT in the classroom. One of the highest responses was the provision of, and access to, interactive whiteboards. Find more details in Peter Scrimshaw’s report called Enabling Teachers to Make Successful Use of ICT.
In May 2004 OFSTED published a report called ICT in schools – the impact of government initiatives. In amongst the positive remarks in the main findings was the comment that, “Where interactive whiteboards are used, they often enhance the quality of teaching and learning”.
The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) carries out an annual survey about ICT in UK State Schools. The 2004 report, for example, revealed some interesting statistics about the adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in primary schools. 26% (up from 21% in 2003) of primary classes have interactive whiteboards. 73% (up from 37% in 2002) of primary schools at least one whiteboard (the average is actually 2.4). By April 2005 this is expected to rise to 78% (when the average number per school will be 4.1). As for the impact of interactive whiteboards on learning and raising standards, BESA states that this type of whole-class teaching tool recorded a high ranking, in fact the highest ranking in well over a third of the primary schools in a representative sample of 579. For the latest facts and figures get the most up-to-date report from the BESA website.
David Miller and Derek Glover of Keele University carried out some research into The Interactive Whiteboard as a Force for Pedagogic Change in 2002. By focussing on five primary schools they concluded that the potential benefits of interactive whiteboards was dependent on three conditions being met: there was a will to develop and use the technology; the teachers had to be willing to become mutually interdependent in the development of materials; there had to be some change of thinking about the way in which classroom activities were resourced. They list some advantages of interactive whiteboards for teaching and talk about their effects on pupil motivation. They also mention the problems teachers encountered when using interactive whiteboards.
Becta do an excellent literature review in their publication What the research says about interactive whiteboards. By looking at the various sources they compiled this list of ‘key benefits’ when using interactive whiteboards: encourages more varied, creative and seamless use of teaching materials engages students to a greater extent than conventional whole-class teaching, •increasing enjoyment and motivation facilitates student participation through the ability to interact with materials on the board They also suggest that teachers can maximise the impact of interactive whiteboards by: investing time in training to become confident users exploring the full range of capabilities of whiteboards collaborating and sharing resources with other teachers
Steve Kennewell and Alex Morgan have carried out research into what trainee teachers think about interactive whiteboards in their study Student Teachers’ Experiences and Attitudes Towards Using Interactive Whiteboards in the Teaching and Learning of Young Children. This makes interesting reading. The webmaster carried out a small-scale survey (Spring ’05) which attempts to gather the views of MMU Cheshire undergraduate trainees (on the primary course) about interactive whiteboards. Many trainees are now being placed in schools with whiteboards and some have daily access to them (as they are permanently set up in the classroom where they are based) for the period of the placement. Considering the fact that this technology is still in its infancy their views are relevant. Click here to download a document that summarises his findings.
In “Online” magazine in the TES (10th March 2006) in an article called Is the curriculum offine? Brian Kerslake (who has been developing educational software for over twenty years) bemoaned a number of worrying developments in the world of educational ICT. Let’s start with the trend of the last few years – the rise of interactive whiteboards. Are they a way of saying mixed ability teaching, individualised learning and personalised learning are all wrong? Are they being used as a tool to force the end of pupil-centred learning and a return to the whole-class teaching of the last century? Most often they are used as nothing more than expensive projector screens – with a teacher standing in front of the classroom and telling the class what to do. Is this progress?
Do interactive whiteboards improve teaching and learning? Not necessarily, says Steve Higgins (of the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne), in his article White elephants? for the TES. The full report from the Newcastle team, Interactive whiteboards in primary schools pilot study, is available through the Becta Research site. ] How to use an Interactive Whiteboard really effectively in your primary classroom
by Jenny Gage (2004)
Using interactive whiteboards to orchestrate classroom
dialogue
N Mercer, S Hennessy, P Warwick - Technology, Pedagogy and …,
2010 - Taylor & Francis
Investigating pedagogic practice around interactive whiteboards in British primary schools
From 'bored'to screen: The use of the interactive
whiteboard for literacy in six primary classrooms in
England
A Shenton, L Pagett - Literacy, 2007 - Wiley Online Library
Interactive whiteboards: boon or bandwagon? A critical
review of the literature
HJ Smith, S Higgins, K Wall… - Journal of Computer …, 2005 - Wiley Online Library
... Cogill J. (2002) The use of interactive whiteboards in the primary classroom: what is effective
practice and how does this relate to effective practice in teaching with ICT?
Interactivity in the classroom and its impact on
learning
G Beauchamp, S Kennewell - Computers & Education, 2010 - Elsevier
Can the interactive whiteboard support young children's
collaborative communication and thinking in classroom science
activities?
R Kershner, N Mercer, P Warwick… - International Journal of Comkputer supported collabrative learning
2010 - Springer
Interactive whiteboards: Interactive or just whiteboards
M Northcote, P Mildenhall, L Marshall… - Australasian Journal Educational Technology
2010 ascilite.org.au
The impact of interactive whiteboards on teacher–pupil
interaction in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies
F Smith, F Hardman, S Higgins - British Educational Research …, 2006 - Taylor &
Francis Pedagogical dilemmas in the National Literacy Strategy: primary teachers' perceptions, reflections
and classroom behaviour
Gender inequality in the primary classroom: will
interactive whiteboards help?
F Smith, F Hardman, S Higgins - Gender and Education, 2007 - Taylor & Francis
This paper sets out to investigate (i) gender differences in whole class classroom interaction
with a sample of teachers who were not using interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in their
lessons; and (ii) the short‐term and longer term impact of IWB use upon gender
Teacher use of the interactive whiteboard in primary
schools: towards an effective transition framework
G Beauchamp - Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2004 - Taylor & Francis
One of the emerging resources affecting primary (ie ages 5-11 years) classroom
practice in the UK is the interactive whiteboard (IWB). This has implications for teacher
education and training
The interactive whiteboard: a literature
survey
D Glover, D Miller, D Averis, V Door - Technology, Pedagogy
and …, 2005 - Taylor & Francis
change and development. London: Falmer Press. University of Wales Institute,
Cardiff (2002) Interactive Whiteboards and their Practical Use within the
Primary Classroom. Cardiff: School of Education
You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 4-7 by Anne Cooper, Karen Mawer, and Heather Cromie (2006)
You can use an interactive whiteboard for ages 7-11 by Audain, David, Flute and Fielder (2006)
The two titles above are reviewed by Terry Freedman under the headline
Board measures at the TES website.
100 Activprimary Whiteboard Lessons (Complete set or books related to individual years available)
How to Survive and Succeed with an Interactive Whiteboard by Greg Braham
Learning and Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards by Barber, Cooper and Meeson (2007) MORE RESEARCH LINKS Interactive Whiteboards: new tools, new pedagogies, new learning Why Interactive Whiteboards Work for Us
How do interactive whiteboards enhance learning?
Why Use an Interactive Whiteboard?
A Baker’s Dozen Reasons! Interactive Whiteboard Evaluation (Mirandanet)
Interactive Whiteboards – A Luxury Too Far?
Not OK Computer
Doubts over hi-tech white boards (BBC)
Interactive Whiteboards, Pedagogy and Pupils Performance
Interactive whiteboards in the classroom Are whiteboards being used to their full potential? (Article in The Guardian)