In education, interactive touch screen displays are poised to bring about unprecedented changes in how teachers teach and students learn. There are numerous reasons to use interactive whiteboards in the classroom, ranging from increased student engagement and performance to increased teacher and administrator efficiency. They also have a few unexpected advantages.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for the best classroom display solutions. Schools, thankfully, have options. Most classrooms would benefit greatly from having at least one large format interactive display. Many people believe that having multiple displays is ideal for flexible classrooms that maximise active learning.
Interactive touchscreen displays, also known as smart flat-screen TVs, provide numerous advantages. Here are ten of the most significant benefits of installing an interactive touch screen display in your school.
1. ENCOURAGE ACTIVE LEARNING
Interactive touch screen displays are intended to aid active learning. (Assuming teachers use them for more than just showing videos and slides.) It’s one of the most significant benefits these dynamic devices bring to the classroom.
Active learning, as the name implies, is learning through interaction with content. By participating in the learning process. It should come as no surprise to experienced educators that it works so well. There are numerous activities that support active learning, but many, if not most, are enhanced when instructors and students use interactive whiteboards.
Collaboration:
Students collaborating consistently ranks first on the list of active learning approaches. Interactive touch screen displays excel at facilitating collaboration, particularly with the multitouch feature, which allows multiple students to write onscreen content at the same time. It’s an excellent tool for brainstorming, presenting, and analyzing text or images. Carry out an experiment or play a learning game. (By the way, all of these are recommended activities for active learning.) With the addition of collaboration software, students can cast and share content from their seats. Even better, use a large format interactive display that comes with it or has secure cloud-based capabilities.
Demonstration:
Students’ minds are actively engaged in the learning process when they show, explain, and teach. When you do these things on a large interactive screen, the benefits multiply. Do you have a procedure to demonstrate? Take a seat in front of the interactive touch screen and draw it out. Create a presentation with your teammates and present it on the big screen together. Divide the class into workgroups to learn about various aspects of a topic, then teach the rest of the class. Students can access content from the internet using an interactive touch screen. Highlight key points by annotating on top of slides. Insert video and audio clips. And much, much more. Students are skilled at coming up with novel ways to use technology. Provide them with the necessary tools. Give instructions. Then set them free. What they come up with will astound you.
2. IMPROVING CRITICAL THINKING CAPABILITIES
Students of all ages benefit from interactive whiteboards in developing critical life skills. Jobs today and tomorrow require greater adaptability, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. Tech tools must be used to prepare students for career and college readiness. And they must use these classroom technology tools in ways that foster the development of these critical skills.
Students must be able to think critically in order to succeed in today’s competitive world. They must have the ability to observe and analyze. To find clever solutions to difficult problems. They must be able to answer higher-level questions that necessitate thought and investigation. They must learn to ask why what if and to consider all sides of an issue.
Collaboration abilities are essential. Employers nowadays expect employees to work in groups and collaborate effectively. The traditional one-on-one lecture format does not foster these abilities. Constructivist learning is enabled by interactive displays. They allow students to collaborate in order to make connections and gain knowledge.
3. INCREASE ENTHUSIASM
Students are more engaged in classes that use an interactive touch screen display. They are more attentive. They are more enthusiastic about learning. Teachers frequently report that the top benefits of using interactive display technology in the classroom are increased attentiveness and engagement.
The motivating effect of interactive displays can be seen at all levels of education. A substantial amount of research supports the use of interactive whiteboards in early childhood education. (It should be noted that many researchers still refer to all similar technology as “interactive whiteboard,” “IW,” or “IWB.”) Gains in achievement, participation, motivation, and cooperation are among the benefits. Students were also able to spend more time exploring and engaging in activities. During lessons, focus and attention span improved.
4. IMPROVING CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Touch screen interactive displays can help keep classes running smoothly. For one thing, students who are more engaged are less likely to be disruptive. Students are naturally more captivated by the content when lessons are made more dynamic. (After all, who doesn’t enjoy learning through a game, video, or lively discussion with on-screen annotation?)
For another, interactive displays allow for the use of eye-catching visual aids. Visual timers, such as Time Timer, keep children focused. They assist children in conceptualizing, managing, and visualizing time when taking tests or taking turns. Visual noise level cues make “shushing” more enjoyable and keep the teacher from being the villain.
5. Creating a Common Experience
When schools implement one-to-one learning programs, students can end up spending a lot of time behind a screen. Focused on their own activities. This can be great for differentiated learning. Not so good for maintaining a classroom community. Diverting their focus to the interactive display brings students back to a community mindset. Whether it’s the teacher or a group of students presenting, the display creates a common experience.
The more you use your interactive touch screen display the more it becomes a central gathering point. A visible means of creating common ground among classmates. Collaborative projects, presentations, and gamified learning all do the trick. Or, take a group break from the pressures of the day. Try infusing mindfulness activities from the Calm School Initiative. Your display can even help create a communal atmosphere when students are focused on their iPads or Chromebooks. Use it to display nature scenes or play music from a music visualizer.
6. Bringing Greater Inclusivity
Interactive whiteboards help teachers offer more learning opportunities to more students. Lessons that bring students to the board let kinesthetic learners get up and move. Videos and multimedia presentations appeal to visual and auditory learners. And for those that learn best by reading? Teachers can capture and save on-screen notes and distribute the files for independent review.
Classroom technology can be a great equalizer for students with special needs. Interactive touch screen displays integrate easily with assistive tech. Like captions, text highlighters, and text-to-speech software. Students that have difficulty holding a pen can write on the display with a finger or tennis ball. Early learners can trace letters and shapes. Advanced learners can collaborate with classmates on more complex lessons at the display.
Students with mobility challenges may not be able to participate at a wall-mounted display. It may be difficult to reach due to height or their reach may be blocked. An ADA-compliant lift with robust functionality adds accessibility. Look for height adjustment and multiple tilt angles. Plus the ability to go fully horizontal. More options maximize access for more students.
7. Improving Learning Outcomes
Students and teachers agree: interactive whiteboards are fun. They captivate, improve attention span and boost student engagement. They can be an outstanding cornerstone for classroom cohesion. They’re also a proven way to help students learn more, learn better, and be better able to apply that learning as they move forward in their lives.
We know that active learning works. A meta-analysis of 225 studies concluded that it reduces failure rates by 55% over passive receipt of information. It also demonstrated the many ways active learning promotes higher-order thinking. The very foundation for the skills most in-demand by employers.
We also know that interactive displays and active learning go hand in hand. That these dynamic and versatile touch screen displays facilitate countless active learning adventures.
Early research demonstrated a 6-point gain when 85 teachers used interactive displays across 170 classrooms. This jumped to 26 points when instructors used graphs, charts, videos, and other visuals to reinforce information. Success skyrocketed to a 31 percent increase under optimal circumstances. By adding “interactive reinforcers” and audience response polling, student achievement reached the highest levels 3.
That was in 2009. Today, teachers can leverage the learning potential of interactive displays to an even greater extent. The displays themselves offer a new level of collaborative and interactive capabilities. Add to this a plethora of advanced interactive learning apps. Plus easy-to-use content-sharing software. And readily available response systems. All support greater learning with virtually any curriculum.
8. Easy to Implement
IT departments are big fans of interactive touch screen displays. Compared to traditional interactive whiteboards and projector-based technology, they offer big benefits. Because they’re all-in-one solutions, they’re faster to implement. They require virtually no maintenance. Plus, teachers get up and running with their dynamic displays with minimal training. All of which saves IT time and reduces related costs.
Administrative benefits of interactive whiteboards:
- An all-in-one solution
- Easy installation
- Reduced maintenance
- No bulbs
- No filters or calibration
- Greater reliability
- Longer lifespan
- Lower energy consumption
- Wall or cart-mount for resource sharing
- Often no software licensing fees
9. Remote Management
Remote management is a big benefit when it comes to interactive whiteboards. But not all boards have the same remote management systems. Some may require you to download multiple different apps, while others are just plain complicated.
Thankfully, ViewBoards are built-in with the myViewBoard software, a comprehensive learning suite that includes remote management features as well.
MyViewBoard Manager is an easy and safe web-based solution that is so simple, IT managers or even teachers can learn how to use it. The benefit of having a solid device management tool is that you can set up your classroom with different scenarios, or easily assign boards to specific locations in your school.
As teachers gain experience with their interactive touch screen they begin benefiting from the full range of features. IT teams often report that after brief training most teachers are comfortable with the displays. Some display manufacturers offer webinars and onsite training to help educators optimize the use of their classroom displays.
