As a teacher or a parent looking for methods to improve the learning experience in schools, consider the interactive whiteboard. Though they were once considered a luxury in schools, they have now become a necessity. They allow teachers to bring their lessons to life using their hands and voice instead of just teaching from slides or the front of the room
It’s been well-documented that students learn better when they can actively engage with information rather than sit passively and be lectured. Interactive whiteboards make this possible by allowing them to interact with teachers and other students. To learn more about how interactive display screens can benefit your classroom, read this post!
What are Interactive Display Screens for Classrooms?
Interactive whiteboards are typically used in classrooms with a projector. These projectors can also be used to display any other video or video images and they often come with remote control. The remote allows teachers to control the display from the front of the room using their hands and voice.
The screens themselves usually don’t require touch-input, but most interactive whiteboards now come with an optional touch screen attachment as an accessory. Teachers have described these boards as being more responsive than many laptops and tablet computers on the market. This capability may make interactive whiteboards even more valuable in a classroom than their modern counterparts.
9 Benefits of Interactive Displays for Students
There are several ways interactive display screens benefit the learning experience of students in classrooms. Here are 9 ways an interactive display can impact the learning experience in class:
1- A higher level of engagement
One of the biggest benefits of interactive display boards is the fact that they are engaging. Students are used to being shown a PowerPoint presentation and then sitting there while the teacher lectures them. Interactive screens allow students to interact with students and teachers alike.
2- Better retention rates
Students who can actively engage with their learning material have better retention rates than students who simply listen to a lecture. This is because their brains are more active, which helps them process information more effectively. Interactive displays help maximize this level of engagement by allowing students to actively participate in classroom activities.
3- Different types of interaction
Interactive screens provide different types of interaction for different learning styles. Auditory learners can listen and respond to teachers. Visual learners can watch presentations. Kinesthetic learners can use their hands to manipulate the screen. In a typical classroom, only one or two methods of learning are used at a time. Interactive screens provide that same opportunity but in a single classroom space, allowing students to learn using all three methods of learning at once!
4- Sensory Integration
In addition to the three different ways students can interact with interactive displays, they can also engage their other sensory senses through them as well. These boards come with sounds and vibrations, which allow students who learn better through those senses to engage more with the information as well.
5- Customization
One of the biggest benefits of interactive display screens is the ability to customize them as students interact with them. They also allow students to choose different ways of engaging with their teachers and classmates. This customization can help keep students interested longer than a one-size-fits-all approach.
6- Restraining issues
Many teachers report that in order for students to focus on their lectures, they have to restrain them from moving around or playing with their interactive displays. The quietness of the classroom allows for more focused learning, but some students are more likely to pay attention when things are more active, such as playing games on the computer or engaging with another student. Interactive displays can help provide this sort of activity without distracting from the lesson and allow students to move around more freely.
7- Better engagement with parents
Another huge benefit of interactive display boards is that they can help teachers engage parents. Teachers are often responsible for communicating important information about their students back to parents, but many find that it’s difficult to get a hold of them. They’re often busy, distracted, or simply forget to call or email back. Interactive displays eliminate this problem by allowing teachers to put information on the screen for parents to see and respond using the remote control.
8- More cooperative learning opportunities
Interactive displays also allow students to participate in cooperative learning activities with each other and their teacher through multiple ways of interacting. Not only can they respond to the teacher or each other verbally, but they can also interact through activities like games using the touch screen. This level of cooperative learning is much easier for teachers to manage and for students to engage with.
9- Less equipment needed
One of the biggest benefits of interactive display boards is that they don’t require any additional equipment like most other teaching tools. They come with everything you need in order to teach using them, saving schools time, money and room for other important things.
What are Interactive Display Screens not good for?
Interactive display screens may be beloved by teachers, but there’s certainly a downside as well. Here are a few things you may want to consider before purchasing one for your classroom:
1- Technical Problems
Interactive whiteboards are certainly the most popular of these types of display screens, but many people complain about their technical problems. The biggest complaint is that the computers often run slow and can be distracting to students. The computers can also cause interference with other wireless devices in the area, which can also be distracting to students.
2- No Physical Barriers
One of the biggest concerns with interactive display screens is that they have no physical barriers (such as walls or dividers) like classrooms and other learning spaces do. This means that students can move freely, interact with each other and their teacher, and potentially talk and/or text during class. This does not mean that it’s okay for students to be distracting or disruptive, but students have to understand that it’s not okay to be pervasive when other students are learning.
3- No Alone Time
Interactive whiteboards may provide for better communication between students and their teachers, but this does not mean that the classroom becomes a noisy or distracting place where all of your students have to be constantly interacting with each other. Like most forms of technology with the potential for distraction, an interactive board needs to be used in moderation. Too much of it can be bad for students’ concentration.
Should I get an interactive display screen for my classroom?
If you’re considering these interactive screens for classrooms, we would certainly recommend that you try one out first. We understand that every classroom is different, so make sure to test out a few of the popular models before purchasing!
In the end, it’s up to each teacher to decide which types of technology they want to use in their classroom. However, if you’re considering interactive displays as a way to help students learn and keep them engaged, there are many benefits that others have experienced and reported! We hope this article was helpful in making this decision easier!
Invest in Innovative Learning
If you found this article helpful, please share it with others using the social media buttons below! Help us spread innovative teaching practices far and wide so that all students have access to the best learning tools possible. Thanks so much!
If this article was helpful, consider subscribing to our newsletter where we share more great ideas just like this! Also, please leave us a comment letting us know what you thought as well as any questions or concerns you may have about interactive display screens.