We hear a lot about “interactive whole class teaching” these days. However research shows that in practice it’s often dominated by too fast, closed questioning led by the teacher – with little opportunity for dialogue in which students contribute their own ideas.
The interactive whiteboard (IWB) can help teachers offer this opportunity though; it seems like the perfect space for children to communicate their ideas visually and for a class to build up knowledge together.
In principle the IWB lends itself to more interactivity and use by students, but again we often see only teachers using it or students engaged in rather superficial activity.
We have the boards in almost all our schools in the UK now, and in the vast majority of classrooms; they are multiplying like rabbits. But policymakers need to realise that simply plonking these powerful tools into classrooms won't change teaching and learning by itself! How the teachers and learners use them is absolutely key. Our project asked:
How can teachers use the IWB purposefully to help get students talking and thinking in more depth, testing out ideas, and learning from their classmates?