Journal Reviews
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Shenton, A. & Pagett, L. (2007) ‘From bored to screen: the use of the interactive whiteboard for literacy in six primary classrooms in England’, Literacy, 41 (3), pp.129-136.
This journal review highlights a research project conducted in six primary classrooms in order to distinguish what impact interactive whiteboards had on learning and teaching in literacy lessons. The focus was on year 5 classes. Shenton and Pagett (2007) used a combination of classroom observations and teacher and pupil interviews in order to gather the data. The main research questions they wanted to answer were as follows;
How are IWBs being used in primary school literacy classrooms?
How is IWB use being supported and resourced in primary school literacy
classrooms?
How is IWB use impacting on classroom literacy practice?
On what area/s of literacy practice have IWBs had the most impact?
(Shenton & Pagett, 2007, p. 131)
Shenton and Pagett (2007) found that the
teachers benefited from having an interactive whiteboard in the classroom.
Teachers found that they
could save work and refer back to it with ease; they could access online
teaching resources quickly; they could assess children on different aspects
of literacy for example by using a teacher made interactive spelling
test; and they also found that creativity and flexibility in lessons
was enhanced.
In relation to the pupils, Shenton and Pagett
(2007) found that children were able to go up to the board and modify
existing information; they
could engage
in discussion after watching a video on the interactive whiteboard; and also
that the children’s motivation improved. Furthermore on observing the
lessons Shenton and Pagett (2007) noted that the lesson was very much teacher
led.
Shenton and Pagett (2007) discovered that when asked what training the teachers
had received; only one school had received specific training where the others
had brief training from the company who installed the interactive whiteboard.
At the end of the research Shenton and Pagett
(2007) concluded that whilst there had been considerable benefits to
teachers’ practice such
as enabling creativity and flexibility, promoting organisation and
encouraging more whole
class lessons, there had been doubts to whether the interactive whiteboards
actually did create interactive learning for the pupils, because of
the fact
that the teachers are the main controllers and users of the board.
It appears that for children to really benefit from the use of an interactive whiteboard in a classroom the teachers need to be trained well and have confidence in using all of the applications. Consequently “when teachers become more skilled in the use of the interactive whiteboard they are able to use it – and many do use it – to increase interactivity and use a much wider range of resources” (Somekh et al, 2007, p.7).
Smith, F., Hardman F. & Higgins, S. (2006) ‘The impact of interactive whiteboards on teacher-pupil interaction in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies’, British Educational Research Journal, 32 (3), 443-457.
This journal details a study which was carried out to investigate the impact of teacher-pupil interaction in teaching literacy and numeracy at a Key Stage 2 Level. The journal discusses how both the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) and National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) have a strong emphasis on a whole class teaching approach. It also challenges the types of discourses which are typical between teacher and pupil within a classroom setting. As Smith et al (2006, p.443) point out
"The study was designed to test the claims that IWBs can be used as a pedagogic tool to promote interactive forms of learning and teaching, thereby changing traditional patterns of whole class interaction and discourse."
The discourse which is referred to consists of three moves: an initiation; a question from the teacher, a response; where the student will attempt to answer the question, and lastly a follow-up; in which the teacher will provide some sort of feedback or evaluation to the pupil. This three part exchange was outlined by Sinclair and Coulthard (1975, in Smith et al, 2006, p.444) who first revealed that this discourse
"is particularly prevalent in directive forms of teaching and often consists of closed teacher questions, brief pupil answers which teachers do not build upon, superficial praise rather than diagnostic feedback, and an emphasis on recalling information rather than genuine exploration of a topic."
The study wanted to challenge such discourses and examine whether the use of an Interactive Whiteboard impacted in any way. IWBs were installed into both Year 5 and Year 6 classes in 12-15 schools in six different local education authorities (LEAs). A team from the 'Centre for Learning and Teaching' at Newcastle University were contracted to undertake the research project. They did so by using a series of structured observations within each classroom and conducting interviews with pupils and teachers to gain their opinions. They also used teachers' weekly records of IWB use and pupils attainment within their performance of Key Stage 2 tests.
The findings of the study outlined that both literacy and numeracy lessons which contained an IWB element included more whole class teaching. The frequency of discourse moves in the lessons that used IWBs had more open ended questions, as well as more answers from pupils and evaluation of others' work between the pupils.
"While it could be argued that the IWB is a useful presentational
tool to have in the classroom, the findings suggest that such technology
by
itself will not bring about fundamental change in the traditional patterns
of whole class teaching" (Smith et al, 2006, p.455).