Information and communications technology is rapidly expanding and evolving. When needing to contact someone in the past, this could consist of writing letters, sending postcards or simply walking to the person's house, however these actions are deteriorating.
‘Many teachers are now incorporating ICT into their everyday practice, particularly in well-resourced schools with data projectors and interactive whiteboards’ Glover and Miller 2001; Kennewell and Beauchamp (2003). My personal experiences within schools have emphasized how beneficial technology is to modern day teaching. Technology is used on a regular basis including computers, iPads and IWB.
IWB are used for all age groups, from Foundation Phase to HE. ‘In 2003 the Welsh Assembly Government invested in one IWB for every primary school and three for each secondary school in Wales’ Kennewell, Steve, & Beauchamp, Gary. (2010). Most lessons executed on these boards include mathematical, literal and punctuation apps to guide children.
Kennewell, Steve, & Beauchamp, Gary. (2010). The influence of ICT on the interactivity of teaching.
Although it does increase focus and enjoyment in lessons, studies by Albaaly and Higgin (2012), showed that there were no beneficial factors when using an interactive whiteboard for essay writing. Another study conducted in May 2014 found no significant evidence towards using an IWB. Students even mentioned that they felt overwhelmed during classes where they were used.
ReplyDeleteIt can be argued that IWB are over used within education and that there should be more focus upon skills such as handwriting.
Luo, Y.-F. and Yang, S.C. (2016) ‘The effect of the interactive functions of Whiteboards on elementary students’ learning’, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 54(1), pp. 685–687. doi: 10.1177/0735633115628032.
I think the issue with IWB is where and when they are used. While some may argue that they hinder traditional development methods, such as handwriting and grammar, others may praise they system as bringing an easier approach to teaching and allowing for more complex demonstrations.
ReplyDeleteRichard English (2006), noted that among certain schools, teachers of Mathematics and ICT found the use of whiteboards beneficial as it allowed them to present information in an effective way so that every child had the best learning experience.
With technology leading to a more touch based system I don’t think we should neglect the IWB just yet, rather look at ways in which teaching can be adopted to accommodate the system more effectively.
English, R (2006). Maths and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach. London. David Fulton Publishers Ltd