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How £50m went to waste on a whiteboard
Last updated at 22:22pm on 28.01.07
Hi-tech electronic whiteboards are now in half of all classrooms in England
Replacing school blackboards with hi-tech interactive whiteboards' has been a waste of £50million, say academics.
Ministers wanted the whiteboards to help personalise' teaching to meet the needs of individual pupils and help children learn at their own pace.
But a Government-funded evaluation has found they have had no impact on performance.
Pupils were reduced to spectators' as teachers produced faster and more complicated electronic displays.
The large, touch-sensitive boards are connected to a computer and projector which can use video, animation, graphics and sound. They are now in half of all classrooms in England.
The report from London's Institute of Education said: Although the newness of the technology was initially welcomed by pupils any boost in motivation seems short-lived.
Statistical analysis showed no impact on pupil performance in the first year departments were fully equipped.'
Sometimes teachers focused more on the new technology than on what pupils should be learning, the report suggested.
For instance, the focus on interactivity as a technical process can lead to some relatively mundane activities being over-valued.
Such an emphasis on interactivity was particularly prevalent in classes with lower-ability students,' the report said.
In lower-ability groups it could actually slow the pace of whole class learning as individual pupils took turns at the board.'
Schools Minister Jim Knight said the report reflected the early days' before electronic whiteboards had settled into classrooms.
He said he believes passionately that such technology can be a excellent tool in helping teaching and learning'.
But he added that it would never be a substitute for good teaching. Only when teachers have the skills to use it properly can we expect them to use the technology to support and transform traditional teaching methods.'
Reader views (12)
If interactive whiteboard provides same interface with conventional blackboard, it may help teachers to pay more attention to their pupils.
- Difeng, Singapore, 07/09/2009 07:53
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Technology is a significant tool in the classroom; however, the way it is used is critical to the educational benefit of students. The IWB is great for presentation and tie-in to content but the actual interaction is really pertinent to the "one" using it. Most times the teacher has their back to the class poking the board activating windows, etc. How is that so different than the teacher at any board? The tool is primarily for the teacher. It provides remote control to the projection. That however, does not guarantee better lessons or higher student achievement. Creating the multi-integrated lessons is time consuming and teachers have little time as it is. The IWB is a great tool for teaching but it is not teaching students about technology literacy which is all about the computer and applications. For what these things cost, the results, as the tests show, are negligible. The teacher is the most important factor.
- Rodney, Fort Myers, USA, 01/07/2009 00:48
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This technology is a huge improvement on old style blackboards - ask anyone who uses one at work if they'd go back to a blackboard. The lack of pupil benefit is down to usage, if its not being used correctly and therefore the pupils arent gaining dont blame the technology. Maybe its down to not paying for the user training that needs to go along with any new technology or maybe some of the teachers simply transfered their old style blackboard lessons to a white board? The change in technology was undoubtably the way to go - the skill set to get the most from it will take time.
- Hilary Burns, London, UK, 14/05/2009 08:18
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Hello!
What I believe is that technology 'for the sake of it' in classrooms can be disastrous to the learning process. It would be best when aligned with learner needs & learning styles. For example, IWBs may be welcomed by visually intelligent learners. How about the others?
Also, I agree with Ms.Knowlton. The initial years are to be marked for pilot run. Impacts could be long term.
Huma Riaz
- Huma Riaz, Chennai, India, 25/01/2009 06:52
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An interactive white board is very efficient to be used in the teaching learning activities as its useful benefits. But for countries who have many limitations in technology, it can't be implemented. Interactive white boards is familiar in other countries but still spectacular in Indonesia. Ironic isn't it? How can teacher understand it if teacher never know it?
- Mawasti Santika, jakarta, indonesia, 29/07/2008 07:01
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The report really only served to highlight the real problem which was a complete lack of professional development and training support for the £50 million rollout - or rather 'parachute drop' of technolology.
It is undeniable that as teacher skills and confidence move on - large interactive displays of this nature will continue to prove to be an increasingly essential piece of classroom infrastructure. How can a teacher be expected to keep up with modern web content and stuff in class without it!
Only a tiny percentage of teachers in the survey - around 6-8% had received any form of training for their effective use - but clearly that does not make the news.
Shame on the University and the press for failing to address the real issue here which was a dire lack of support.
- Pete Wills, Hounslow, 04/02/2007 23:47
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In study after study around the world the single most cited factor that determines the successful adoption of any technology is teacher development. While knowing the features and functions of technology is important, it is far more important to understand the appropriate strategies and teaching methodologies to ensure maximum student engagement and learning. This is true for technologies like computers and the internet as well.
When used correctly, the interactive nature of the technology should be used to bring students to the front of the classroom rather than be static “spectators.”
An interactive whiteboard is a great first step to the introduction and integration of technology in a classroom. It serves as a central display area similar to a traditional chalkboard and also opens up the learning environment to provide access to a variety of content rich media. When correctly embedded into teaching and learning, it becomes a remarkably effective tool.
Research from around the world that indicates that interactive whiteboards improve student engagement, improve motivation and attendance, address different learning styles and special needs, improve review and retention and improve teacher preparation.
These are early days in tracking impacts.
- Nancy Knowlton, Calgary, Canada, 30/01/2007 11:39
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I have to agree with Graham (Spain). You cannot get the best out of technology until you understand what it can do and how to do it.
- Dan, Manchester, 29/01/2007 16:37
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I was a little surprised to read this news, and have already started doubting the results (I would love to read the report).
'technology will never be a substitute for good teaching' - does anyone believe it will? I think the idea of using an IWB is to equip teachers with a powerful tool that they can choose to use in different ways, not that the actual technology substitute the teacher.
Obviously, a bad teacher with an expensive tool is worse than a good teacher without one, but a lot depends on the quantity and quality of the training that teachers have received in how best to use the IWB (I am an IWB teacher trainer and am very aware of this - without adequate training, teachers usually use the board in inadequate ways)
I must say that I have found the IWB to be an excellent tool for teaching, and I think we have so far seen a very positive influence, and have received encouraging feedback upon the learners that have studied in IWB equipped classrooms here.
- Graham Stanley, Barcelona, Spain, 29/01/2007 16:18
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And how much went to waste on the Government-funded evaluation??
- Katherine, Epping, 29/01/2007 12:49
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And how much went to waste on the Government-funded evaluation??
- Katherine, Epping, 29/01/2007 12:49
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Educators seem obsessed with impressive technology rather than developing real understanding amongst children. My kids aged between 8 and 12 complain that too much time is spent simply learning how to produce impressive looking work on computers at the expense of real understanding of the underlying subject.
- H, London, UK, 29/01/2007 06:43
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