What you see is what you do

Image from Public Domain Pictures

In a previous post, I wrote about the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) and the challenges it faces as a technology for education. I also published a second post in which I listed 6 ways IWBs could be used to engage learners in the classroom. IWBs have been around since 1991, when the first was developed by SMART Technologies. And yet, as I discussed in my previous posts, some teachers struggle to use them for more than simple projection or display activities.

I outlined some of the strategies that schools could consider to improve the use of IWBs in classrooms, particularly around interactivity, engagement and motivation. I also suggested that affordances of IWBs should be considered when deploying them in learning and teaching contexts. Affordance was a term introduced by psychologist James Gibson to describe all of the potential applications a user might perceive from the (visual) design features of tools.

Essentially, the design of the technology can either constrain or enable the actions of users, so what you see is what you do. Bear this in mind as you read through the bullet points below. Here are a magnificent seven ways interactive whiteboards can be used to enhance learning and engage learners:

• Firstly, IWBs can promote better engagement in learning. It can be used as a focal point to motivate, promote deeper concentration Due to its enhanced visual capabilities, it can also promote  visualisation of concepts. The use of maps, diagrams, animations, and also mind mapping can engage students at higher levels of understanding (Barber et al, 2007, pp 77-78). 
• Secondly, large screen interaction can call upon many of the senses and engage learners in activities beyond fact learning. As McFarlane suggests, a variety of interactions are possible, where students can connect personal response tools to vote or answer questions displayed on the main screen. This can also aid the teacher in monitoring student understanding at a group level (McFarlane, 2015, p 26).
• Thirdly, IWBs are versatile as tools. They are not limited to display and presentation mode, although many teachers confine themselves within this functionality. As stated above, IWBs are for students as well as teachers. A strong recommendation is for teachers to step aside, practice the social constructivist mantra of letting students interact with the content, and also each other as they learn.
• Fourthly, IWBs can become an extension, or mind tool for students. The act of creating, inputting and interacting with content on a large screen is beneficial because it taps directly into the process of learning, enabling learners to manipulate ideas and concepts as they learn, experimenting, failing and learning through problem solving.
• Fifthly, IWBs promote better collaborative learning, between students and with the teacher. Researchers argue that this is mainly because good IWB use in the classroom creates enhanced speaking and listening opportunities (Barber et al, 2007, p 46).
• Sixthly, there are a number of tools and technologies that can be integrated with IWBs to enhance learning still further (Barber et al, 2007, pp 85-94). These include digital microscopes, visualisers, scanners, digital cameras (still and video), webcams and interactive voting tools (see above).
• Finally - and especially for those who teach mixed abilities and grade levels - the IWB can be used as a tool for differentiation. Researchers point out that the split screen functionality on many IWBs supports aspects of differentiation, where students from mixed ability groups can work together or in parallel on the screen (Smith et al, 2006). 

It's clear that there is plenty of life left in large screen touch surfaces such as Interactive Whiteboards. When effectively embedded within good pedagogy, they enhance learning and engage learners. Their scope and potential are only limited by our imagination and as teachers we have a duty to provide our students with great learning experiences. With a little planning and creativity, IWBs can play a key role in how we achieve this. 

References
Barber, D., Cooper, L. and Meeson, G. (2007) Learning and Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Gibson, J. J. (1979) The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

McFarlane, A. (2015) Authentic Learning for the Digital Generation. London: Routledge.

Smith, H. J., Higgins, S., Wall, K. and Miller, J. (2005) Interactive whiteboards: Boon or bandwagon? A critical review of the literature. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21(2), 91-101.

What you see is what you do by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.