How £50m went to waste on a whiteboard

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.'