Interactive whiteboard gain popularity among teachers

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Interactive whiteboard gain popularity among teachers

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The demand for touch screen whiteboards has almost doubled, with sales in educational institutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa increasing by 48 percent last year.

This is according to a recently released report from Decision Tree Consulting, a UK-based research company which documents the sales of interactive whiteboards.

According to the report, 377 000 interactive whiteboards were sold to education institutions in 2007.

The only region exhibiting stronger growth than the Europe, Middle East and Africa region was the United States with 55 percent.

These new touch screen boards are fast replacing the blackboards and chalk that most adults grew up with in many countries across the globe.

That SMART, distributors of the screens, increased its 2007 product category share in the education segment significantly over 2006.

"SMART now holds 53 percent of the product category share in the education segment in the United States and 57 percent in the United Kingdom," the report said.

Using an electronic pen, similar to those used by some cellular touch-screen phones, teachers and students can write on the board, and hand over any PC application, web page or image projected on to the board from the PC.

The 78-inch whiteboards connect to a computer, keyboard and projector.

The projector displays the computer’s desktop onto the board’s surface, while users control the computer as usual with the click of a mouse, or a digital pen.

Research has indicated that the use of the technology increases the level of interactivity in classrooms, into a dynamic learning and training environment.

The software includes extensive libraries of backgrounds, grids, sounds and flipcharts covering a variety of topics from basic literacy and numeracy to science, geography and maths.

Schools using the interactive whiteboard talk enthusiastically about the benefits of having them in their classrooms.

The Bergvliet High School in Cape Town has had similar experiences.

In three years, at a cost of R1.5 million, the school has swapped all its blackboards for whiteboards.

It is the only school in South Africa that has installed whiteboards in all 44 of its classrooms.

Deputy Principal Stephen Price, who has overseen the project, which was funded by parents, told BuaNews earlier this year that the classroom management was also greatly enhanced.

"This technology gives us flexibility in the classroom and in our preparation. We can access the best educational resources from around the world within minutes, and our learners just love it.

"It makes our pupils better learners. It makes us want to teach and our learners want to learn," boasted Mr Price.

He said Maths and Science educators had indicated that the software had improved their learners’ skills.

"Since the installation, pupils’ marks and attention span had improved and lessons had become more interactive," said Mr Price.

"This is the type of technology pupils are used to. When you put these devices in classrooms, they respond to it."

It is forecasted that interactive whiteboard category will increase worldwide by 200 percent in the next five years and that one in six classrooms will have an interactive whiteboard by 2011.

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