Improving Learning Outcomes with Interactive Whiteboards Don Passey Senior Research Fellow Department of Educational Research Lancaster University

Improving Learning Outcomes with Interactive Whiteboards

Don PasseySenior Research Fellow

Department of Educational Research

Lancaster University

“Preparing lessons for use on an interactive whiteboard means that lesson preparation is focused on how pupils learn, rather than on what needs to be taught.”

How can interactive whiteboard use be focused to improve outcomes?

Sources (over a 4 year research period): Two year study of 14 schools using a year 7

complete subject curriculum designed for use on interactive whiteboards (RM Mathsalive)

One year study of pupil motivation arising from uses of ICT (DfES)

Two year study of e-learning developments in schools across a regional broadband consortium (RBC)(WMNet and its 14 LEAs)

What sort of learning outcomes would you want?

Would you want this – example 1?

92% of all pupils indicated they enjoyed using computers at school.

87% indicated they thought their computer skills had increased.

87% indicated they enjoyed using computers at home.

86% indicated they enjoyed using the interactive whiteboard.

85% indicated more use of technology than the previous year.

75% indicated that mathematical games helped them to remember.

73% indicated the interactive whiteboard resources made mathematics easier.

73% indicated they understood most things in mathematics lessons.

72% indicated they could answer questions more easily.

70% indicated interest in use of graphical calculators.

69% indicated more interest in mathematics than in the previous year.

64% indicated more enjoyment of school than the previous year.

61% indicated they learned from the video.

60% indicated they discussed mathematics more than in the previous year.

Responses from 425 year 7 pupils, from across 14 schools

Or would you want this – example 2?

Question

Level of difference by the end of the

year

I enjoy school. -0.41

Mathematics is my favourite subject at school -0.37

I enjoy doing mathematics homework more than homework in other subjects. -0.30

Worksheets make mathematics easy. -0.23

I like mathematics. -0.20

I understand most things in mathematics lessons. -0.15

I enjoy using computers at school. -0.15

Mathematics lessons give me more ideas of how to do mathematics. -0.10

Matched responses from 264 matched year 7 pupils, showing the decrease in attitudes towards certain aspects of school, teaching and learning from across the group, between Autumn Term 2001 and Summer Term 2002

These results came from the same schools, and the same teachers. The results came from successive year groups, and the results were largely consistent across the 14 schools involved So what was the difference?

The system developed: was a complete curriculum able to be delivered by teachers through the use of interactive

whiteboards provided a range of resources video introductions to topics mental and oral starters main activities worksheets and activity sheets games homework activities

An analysis of lessons observed during each half term of use of the resources showed how teachers were using the lesson time available at each stage:

a great deal of time was spent on the main activities (which were largely whole class teaching sessions) in the first term

mental starter and group activities accounted for the next largest proportions of time

the amount of time spent on classroom administration seemed to be high, but at least some teachers found ways to ensure that useful activities were occurring during this time

time spent on reviews and plenary sessions accounted for only about the same amount of time that was spent on classroom administration

Different forms of ICT were used

Resource Total time used in lessons in minutes during the first term

Percentage

Total time used in lessons in minutes during the first half of the second term

Percentage

Total time used in lessons in minutes during the second half of the second term

Percentage

Interactive whiteboard

395 59.4 317 45.16 269 46.54

Computers 163 24.51 120 17.09 51 8.82

Worksheets 84 12.63 248 35.33 244 42.21

Graphical calculators

23 3.46 17 2.42 14 2.42

Total 665 100 702 100 578 100

It was clear that: the level of use of interactive whiteboards was

high in the first term use of computers was at a higher level than that of

worksheets the substantial changes by the second half of the

second term were that the levels of use of the interactive whiteboard were beginning to decrease, the levels of computer use had decreased substantially, and the amounts of worksheet use had increased substantially

Observations in the lessons identified the forms of pupil interaction occurring:

pupils were engaged in high levels of listening, but also that they were engaged in response to teacher questions at a high level during the first term

the levels of writing and working on worksheets were initially lower

the resources were shifting pupil interactions away from the dominant use of worksheets and writing towards responding to teacher questions verbally

the substantial change during the later half terms was concerned with the amount of time using worksheets, which was greater

the amount of time listening, responding to teachers questions verbally and writing notes was lower as a consequence

Forms of teacher interaction used initially were identified

Form of teacher interaction Total maximum times spent in lessons in minutes in the first term

Percentage

Questioning and stimulating responses

290 38.62

Instructing 95 12.65

Monitoring 219 29.16

Presenting 20 2.66

Explaining 127 16.91

Total 751 100

This analysis indicated that: high levels of teacher time were spent in

questioning, stimulating responses and monitoring pupils while they worked

lower levels of time were spent in given instructions and presenting

teaching was more of a focus than instruction

Classroom management and planning were clearly essential:

the use of the resources and the interactive whiteboard were leading to improved planning at early stages

at later stages planning was less focused and less detailed

it relied more upon ‘teacher wit’ than ‘planned interaction’

the movement observed was concerned with a shift from ‘planned interaction’ to ‘covering content’

Teachers’ approaches latterly meant that: Pupils had been less directly involved in the use of

interactive whiteboards Teachers had used interactive whiteboards

increasingly for presentational purposes Less kinaesthetic and visual approaches to stimulate

learning engagement had been involved There had been more use of text-based resources

and writing in exercise books The use of resources had moved from often being

the key resource to that of a resource integrated with others (often largely book or text based)

Teaching approaches had shifted during the course of the trial in the second year

Type of teaching approach Total amount of use (in minutes) Percentage

Discussion, questions and answers 540 34

Writing in books or on paper 526 33

Interactive whiteboard for presentation 350 22

Interactive whiteboard for verbal responses 251 16

Interactive whiteboard used by pupils 70 4

Worksheets completed 67 4

Computer use with pairs of pupils 60 4

Physical resources, such as dice 34 2

Graphical calculators 19 1

Video 16 1

OHP 11 1

Total 1607 100

Teacher discussion (in nearly 50% of cases with use of an interactive whiteboard to stimulate or form a background to that discussion), writing in books and on paper, and the uses of interactive whiteboards for presentation purposes and as a background to discussion, constituted the majority of use

Pre-preparation and planning were focused and

key issues at the earlier stages: What to present How to present it How it would engage pupils and learning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryfrench/numbers13_21/game.shtml?nav

Why do pupils feel that interactive whiteboards help them? (the things that will make the difference)

School exemplar 1 School exemplar 2

Pupil responses are given in the tables

Classroom practice examples following the tables

The school is in the bottom 5% of areas of social deprivationThere is an interactive whiteboard in every areaThere is a full set-up in each area, including speakers, for composition, and for playing musicTeachers have access to Espresso, Granada Learning, and ICT AliveSome staff modify resource for use on interactive whiteboards to support interactive use

The school has 720 pupils, is 3 form entry with 23 classesIn 1998 ICT was identified as an Ofsted needAn NGfL grant funded a dedicated ICT suite, with 1 hour per week per class from year 1By 2003 there was an interactive whiteboard in every classroom including the nursery and reception areasUse varies, with nursery and year R involved in a lot of 'touching' use, and older pupils using on-line learning, video, animation, etc.Espresso and Easiteach are available to teachersAll staff have laptopsAll staff plan using ICT

Engagement and attention span Interactive whiteboard features

Year 2 pupil responses




It engages over a long time period

Use it a great deal

Used a lot Had it for about 2½ years and not getting bored with it

It can engage pupils through the forms of game activities that are not available in other ways

It can be used for games as well as looking at information (dot-to-dot game)

Like games on Espresso

Attention is drawn to it

Variety is enhanced

Variety is important, games, tests, words, pictures, changes

In a year 6 class, the teacher brings up a test paper on the interactive whiteboard, and enlarges it so pupils can read it

It is left on the screen while the teacher asks questions and discusses teeth

Pupils focus their attention forward, rather than having to look down at a paper and then up at the teacher

Direct pupil use and interaction

Interactive whiteboard features





It can be used by pupils as well as for teaching

It is used in turns or in groups

Take use in turn

In a Year 3 class, the interactive whiteboard is used with ReviseWise Science, on the topic of foods

Ideas are presented through the use of sound as well as pictures

The teacher talks about food elements - carbohydrates, vitamins etc.

The teacher puts up an activity to put a healthy meal together

Pupils need to pick foods, to drag and drop foods on the interactive whiteboard

Forms of engagement and learning approaches






Auditory features provide ‘other’ voices

Can listen to poems

Sound effects are good

Visual elements highlight and enhance things being covered

Can choose colour

Can see pictures, can put a background in

Like seeing videos from the internet, can see in your mind more

Kinaesthetic features can support pupil interaction

Can click and drag

More things to do

The teacher uses Virtual Experiments with a year 6 class

Experiments are shown with sound descriptions

The sound provides a voice that offers variety, which aids attention

Two year 6 pupils say they use the interactive whiteboard every day, and they can write on it

It is used for literacy, science, mathematics, history, geography, art

They say it helps them to learn, it is easier to understand

You cannot do so much on a blackboard

You can understand writing

Colour and images help

You can remember more, can save and look back

You have access to a lot of resources

You understand when things are gone over

You can go over homework and discuss it

Annotation and highlighter help

There is no chalk dust

The psychology of learning Interactive whiteboard features





Things are remembered through association with activity, colour, movement, etc.

Remember quite a lot that are associated through activities and features such as colour

Can change colour of pen

Can change things, cartoons help, can picture things in the mind, and then it is possible to remember

Can move and see pictures, can rotate them, easier to learn with activities, can memorise things, can recall things more

Reconstruction of ideas can be accommodated

Can move things around, rearrange things, put in things that are forgotten, put them in the right order or place

Can change fonts, and can discard easily

Can add or delete things, can show where to improve, how to do it

Modelling of ideas and outcomes is enhanced

Can make things correct that are wrong

Can try things, can try possibilities yourself

Tells you when you go wrong, with spelling

In a year 5 lesson, different parts of the lesson used different resources on the interactive whiteboard

The different resources allowed the lesson to ‘restart’

Attention is often highest at the start of a lesson

Being able to restart means that high attention is renewed

Pace and style in lessonsInteractive whiteboard features





It is possible to easily go back to review something already done

Can save things Can save work to another board, cleaners don’t rub the work off

Can save work, can go back to things easily

Can leave things, do not need to ‘rub things out’

Distraction elements are reduced

Traditional boards squeak and pens run out

Clarity can be enhanced

Can make writing bigger

Pictures are better than those drawn by teachers

‘Computing writing’ is clearer

Detail can be enhanced

Labelling helps Explains better, diagrams help, can click on words for explanation

Can make things bigger

The ‘unexpected’ can be used

Can cover things or use the ‘blind’

What is seen is ‘neat’, and felt to be sophisticated

It is neater to uncover using the interactive whiteboard

Visibility is important

It’s like having a ‘giant computer on the wall’, can see things easily

A year 6 boy likes ‘working’ rather than listening

He says he has to listen more if not using an interactive whiteboard

With a blackboard you have to wait more; pace is enhanced with the interactive whiteboard

There is no need to wait

If he does (without the interactive whiteboard), he starts talking, then gets told off, does not like this, and then gets into trouble

Matching the needs of subject areas






Numeracy aspects can be covered, and remembered

Can cover areas of numeracy (number grid)

Maths questions are put on the board

Helps a lot with maths

Maths is covered a lot

Subjects areas and topics are covered widely

Easter story and RE, helps with the Tudors, can use objects, a ruler, protractor, music paper

Used in all subjects

The teacher uses a video clip about insulationThe teacher discusses the results of the

experimentThe teachers gets pupils to estimate cooling

effectsThe teacher asks questions of individual pupils

and asks whether others agreeThe teacher can focus on the analysis of the

results, rather than spending time always on having to reproduce the procedure of the experiment

Involvement, collaboration and ownership






Checking answers becomes more of a shared activity

Can use a ‘blind’ to check the answer

Collaboration is enhanced as the focus of attention is shifted from teacher to teacher AND interactive whiteboard

Can work together more, can see things more and work together

Concentrate more, boring if using the static board, teachers talk too much, helps to work together to solve problems

Can show pupils’ work easily, help each other, work together more

The teacher says it engages pupils for longerThere are lots of resources to use in all topicsGames in mathematics are felt to be very usefulSome pupils go home and continue to use theseSome pupils find other resources or URLs and

bring them into schoolThe teacher accesses the resources found by

pupils in the class and picks out key points or ideas from these

In this way pupils are leading learning and involvement is being encouraged

Context, pertinence and relevance






Can access ‘real’ situations

Can see things in every day life situations

Two year 6 pupils feel that the interactive whiteboard brings new resources not old books

They find they can find things without going into the ICT suite

They find it easier to listen to 2 voices rather than 1

They can check facts and one voice explains the other

Visual descriptions helpThings that are annotated and coloured helpThis can indicate what is wrong

A focus on the ‘real’ audience






Discussion about learning can be focused on

Discuss things more, try to work out strategies, try them out, and tend to remember strategies more

Helps to discuss more

ICT (including interactive whiteboards) appears to be offering a means for a range of pupils to be able to view success

It enables pupils to see possible end-points for their work, and to recognise that they could work towards these in order to complete work

But the use of ICT has to be coupled with learning tasks that are appropriate, and where teaching is providing a core of focused pointers (for example, research activities need to be coupled for some pupils with pointers of where to find appropriate sources, how to view their validity and bias, how to consider appropriate questions to ask, and how to select pieces of information of relevance and pertinence)

Documents

Improving Learning Outcomes with Interactive Whiteboards Don Passey Senior Research Fellow Department of Educational Research Lancaster University