Interactive whiteboards have emerged as an efficient digital teaching tool. Paving the way for cohesive learning, these smart boards are widely being adopted in classrooms worldwide. This explains why the global market for this equipment is forecasted to grow by a decent CAGR of 8% from 2023 to 2030.
A substantial amount of credit for this growth can be attributed to their diverse range of benefits. In fact, many educators believe integrating and optimizing an interactive whiteboard in a classroom is the best way to digitize lessons.
However, there’s still a major portion of the teaching fraternity that’s oblivious to these advantages. Unwittingly, this is also why they’re lagging behind and, thus, devoid of the incredible pros of digital teaching.
So, in this blog, let’s learn about interactive whiteboard integration in the classroom – what it is, its benefits, and its applications.
Table of Contents:
I. What is an Interactive Whiteboard?
II. Benefits of Using Interactive Whiteboard in a Classroom
- Easy to Use and Maintain
- Encourages Student Engagement
- Improves Accessibility
- Access to Online Resources
- Enhances Teaching Effectiveness
III. Interactive Whiteboard Integration – 3 Ways to Innovate Classroom Teaching
IV. Wrapping Up
What is an Interactive Whiteboard?
An Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) is a digital tool most commonly used in schools, colleges, and other educational and training settings. It is mainly optimized as a smart, digital alternative to regular whiteboards and green boards.
This device possesses a large display screen and internet connectivity. It is touch-sensitive and is accessed with the help of a dedicated digital pen, also known as a smart pen.
As an interactive whiteboard is capable of integrating with a computer, it excels in features as well. For instance, it supports multimedia content, video and audio integration, content customization, etc.
Benefits of Using Interactive Whiteboard in a Classroom
Digital solutions have revolutionized the entire landscape of classroom teaching.
Talking specifically of interactive whiteboards, here are a few ways their optimization has facilitated education for both educators and students:
Easy to Use and Maintain
Many teachers avoid the adoption of digital equipment in their pedagogy. This is largely because of the fear of high maintenance of the equipment and the attached learning curve. But that’s not the case with smart whiteboards.
This innovative device comes with a clean, easy-to-navigate user interface. Moreover, its maintenance requirements are also low.
Unlike regular boards, you do not need to stock up on a bunch of accessories like markers and erasers. The only supplementary appendage you need to use an interactive whiteboard is a smart pen.
Encourages Student Engagement
Achieving the optimal level of student engagement often becomes a nagging pain point for educators. However, with interactive whiteboard integration in lessons, it can be accomplished effortlessly.
Digital whiteboards make lessons more engaging and immersive. As they are capable of optimizing a range of multimedia and graphic elements, they are better able to grasp student attention.
This eliminates monotony from lessons and fosters engagement and active student participation in the classroom.
Improves Accessibility
Traditional classroom teaching methods are extremely limited in terms of accessibility. This poses immense difficulties for learners with visual, audio, speech, or other forms of impairments.
However, interactive whiteboards can do away with this issue.
This tool allows educators to leverage a range of media formats, including audio and visuals, and accommodate various learning styles. This establishes flexibility in the classroom and improves accessibility, making learning more inclusive than ever.
Access to Online Resources
In today’s fast-paced era, it’s essential to go beyond the horizons of books and learn in a more comprehensive manner. The optimization of digital whiteboards in a classroom facilitates precisely that.
As these smart boards are connected to the internet, they host a plethora of online learning resources, including quizzes and assignments. Alternatively, educators can also craft their own digital content with the help of a digital textbook platform like KITABOO and cast it on the whiteboard.
This enables them to supplement their teaching and make it more holistic for the students. In fact, this also makes learning much more interactive and understandable.
Enhances Teaching Effectiveness
A recent study found that:
- Learners retain approximately 5% of what they learn from lectures
- Learners retain 10% from reading
- Learners retain 20% from audio-visual
Interactive whiteboards accommodate all these different formats of learning. As a result, effectiveness is also enhanced.
This improved effectiveness plays a vital role in instilling a range of skills in students, like critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative thinking, without extra exertion.
Moreover, it also improves student motivation and satisfaction.
Interactive Whiteboard Integration - 3 Ways to Innovate Classroom Teaching
Now that you are aware of the advantages of using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom, here are three ways you can actually yield them to increase teaching efficiency:
Customize Lessons
Interactive whiteboards open a vast arena of possibilities. With their help, you can tailor-make your lessons to adapt to different learning needs.
For instance, let’s say you are teaching a batch of auditory-impaired students. So, to facilitate learning for them, you can craft engaging visual content through a platform like KITABOO and deliver the gist of the topic without challenging their inability.
Share Digital Resources
From engaging videos to elaborate presentations – an interactive whiteboard serves as a canvas of endless opportunities for sharing digital resources.
With their aid, you can always take teaching up a notch by supplementing your lessons with additional online study materials and sharing them with your students in the class.
Conduct Virtual Field Trips
Interactive whiteboards are adept at creating an immersive learning experience. By optimizing them, you can bring any topic to life.
This means you can leverage audio and video content to conduct virtual field trips, excursions, and other forms of educational outings right in your classroom.
Wrapping Up
Interactive whiteboard integration in classrooms has changed the face of teaching. From aiding swift customizations to enhancing adaptability and accessibility, this digital device has conferred an array of benefits on both learners and educators.
So, introduce the prowess of interactive whiteboards in your institution and make teaching more effective and innovative.
You can start by harnessing the power of a top-rated digital textbook platform like KITABOO. KITABOO enables educators to create and publish interactive digital content that’s also compatible with multiple smart devices, including digital whiteboards.
Connect with us to know more.
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