Hands-on learning, classroom design, and active learning curriculum have become a major driver from kindergarten through high school and higher education settings. Project-based teaching, collaboration, and interactive technology contribute to the proven benefits of hands-on and teaching .
Employers today expect employees to work as a team and collaborate effectively. The traditional one-to-many class format does not foster these skills, and education is rapidly moving toward adopting constructivist approaches, with students working together to make connections and build knowledge.
Instructors and administrators are working to apply this knowledge to new classroom design practices, leveraging flexible furnishings and collaborative technology to create spaces that promote active engagement and deep learning.
In a recent national survey of K-12 teachers, 94% indicated that the classroom and instructional technologies are extremely or very important. Among these technologies, the interactive whiteboard at the front of the classroom plays a key role.
They’re not just the high-tech counterpart to static boards; interactive displays offer a number of advanced benefits. The teachers inform that increased student attention and engagement is the number one benefit of teaching with interactive technology at the front of the classroom, and the majority of educators, about 77% in one survey, believe that an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is very important or even an absolute necessity.
Interactive screen in the classroom
Suitable for any type of classroom, conference room, or distance learning environment, the possible uses of IPs are almost endless.
- Teacher-led viewing and navigation of any website, application, or video.
- Screen highlighting and annotation
- Save and print function
- Facilitation for group projects and individual presentations.
- A collaborative work environment
- Connectivity for video conferences.
- Text/data input via floating on-screen keyboard.
- On-screen editing and saving
- Suitable for education with special needs and differentiation of classrooms.
- Student feedback and evaluation with optional props for class response.
Types of interactive screens
Not long ago, IP was the norm in the classroom. Today, large interactive flat panels (IFPs) and interactive projection technology (IPJs) offer alternative means of bringing an interactive display into the classroom. Each offers interactive functionality through substantially different methods.
- Interactive Whiteboard Displays: The original interactive whiteboard system introduced in 1991. It is still widely used many systems and reaching the end of their life cycle. This system consists of a large blackboard connected to a computer and a projector.
The computer desktop is transmitted through the projector to the whiteboard surface. Where users can control the computer with a pen, finger, or other devices. In this system, the interactive capabilities are built into the whiteboard itself, but the content must be transmitted to it through the projector.
- Interactive Flat Panel Displays: Until relatively recently, projector-based systems were the only IP technology available, with some variation in implementation between vendors.
- Introduced in 2012, large touchscreen LED displays offered a new alternative with higher benefits, lower maintenance requirements and better total cost of ownership (TCO).
So which type of interactive display is better?
IT managers and teams are no longer wondering if interactive displays have a place in their school classrooms, but how best to implement them. Each of the available technologies has relative advantages and limitations.
The key to choosing the best option for a given installation is to carefully evaluate your particular circumstances, including budget, type of content to be displayed, room size, audience, ambient lighting, and other factors in relationship with the environment.
Interactive Whiteboards
One of the main advantages of IP is its familiarity. Many instructors have used an IP in the past, are currently using one, know others who have used it, or were exposed to it during their own training as educators.
This familiarity can help reduce the learning curve and increase instructor comfort with the technology.
Interactive educational technology has been introduced, many schools are faced with the need to replace IPs that are approaching the end of their life cycle.
Newer options not only offer added benefits, but aging PIs often represent a significant cost burden, requiring ongoing and additional maintenance, replacement parts, and technician time.
Lost teaching time due to maintenance and recalibration represents another major negative impact.
Interactive Flat Panels
Full-size LED touch screens (also known as interactive flat panels), since their introduction in 2012, have become a popular choice for bringing interactive visualization to the front of the classroom.
This all-in-one technology offers several advantages over traditional projector-based interactive whiteboards and interactive projectors.
With no projector to maintain, IFPs reduce both costs and staff time required to calibrate, replace lamps and clean filters. IFPs generally consume less power and are much easier to install and maintain as they require virtually no maintenance.
Although short and ultra-short throw projectors have come a long way in reducing shadows and glare.
For some educational settings these distractions can present a significant challenge, and an IFP may be the ideal interactive solution.
Compatible with any laptop, iPad, or other tablet, IFPs are easy to install. In most cases, instructors just plug it in and you’re ready to go.
Also, while many IFPs include special styluses, most do not require them, since working with them using your finger is as easy and intuitive as working with an iPad or smartphone.
Interactive Whiteboard for meeting and conference
Today’s smart interactive whiteboards have complex annotation capabilities and integrate with a wide range of applications and software that were previously inaccessible in large group environments.
Delegates can share their screens with other users, making it easier to discuss personal opinions.
By making your sessions more interactive, you’ll be increasing engagement, resulting in improved output from the meeting and conference.
Interactive Whiteboard for Training sessions
Interactive whiteboards also increase the engagement of your training sessions by promoting interactivity with recipients.
But also allowing you to create digital training sessions that allow organizations to train delegates across multiple locations at the same time.
Smart Interactive whiteboards allow training sessions recording for future reference.
Allowing delegates who couldn’t attend during the primary session to watch the recording at a later date,
or to allow the trainer to review past sessions and improve in preparation for next time.
Common size of interactive whiteboard available in the market ?
- 82 Inch Interactive whiteboards
- 86 Inch Interactive whiteboards
- 96 Inch Interactive whiteboards
- 102 Inch Interactive whiteboards
Summery
Two types of interactive boards are popular and effective for teachers and students.
But the cost of two types of interactive boards is different. So you should choose this one that fulfills your budget.
