IMPACT OF INTERACTIVE BOARD IN MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM
INTRODUCTION.
Amongst the areas that technological innovations and improvements apply is in classrooms. The growth of technology, and introduction of new elements of delivery of service, impacts massively on teaching and practice. Amongst the contributions of technology in most schools and classrooms include the use of interactive whiteboards (Bell, 2002). An interactive white board refers to an instructional tool that uses computer images such as writings, drawings, and slides, amongst others, displayed into a white board using a digitalized projector. Instructors, in this case, use fingers, mouse, or directly touch the white screen for manipulation or while providing explanations.
An interactive white board is considered as a powerful instrument of learning in mathematics lessons as it adds interactivity, integration of media and technological aspect, and collaboration with learners (Kopp, 2013). If used innovatively, the interactive white board creates an extensive range of learning opportunities to both instructors and learners. It is also a cost saver as it uses demonstrations visible by all learners relative to acquiring computers for all learners. However, to some extent the use of these technological driven learning materials may impact on the levels of student’s participation if not well implemented.
Although many educators have adapted this new delivery method, little or no research is available on their effects to such an involving subject like mathematics. The discipline demands high levels of concentration, and a lot of practice. Learners using white boards for this lesson interact with the teachers in a manner that was not previously available (Sharma, Barrett, and Jones, 2011). The technology allows mathematics instructors to directly apply mathematical concepts through the ‘drag and drop’ features, hide and reveal, use of different colors and shadings, movement that demonstrates mathematical principles, and in provision of immediate data entry and feedback. However, in such an interactive class as a mathematics class, the use of these whiteboards may impact the participation and attention of the learners in either a positive or negative manner. This study, therefore, seeks to find out the effects of using interactive whiteboards in a mathematics class.
The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which interactive whiteboards, as new technological methods of teaching, have on student’s performance and attention in a mathematics class.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
- What are the effects of technology on students performance and attention?
- What are the effects of the traditional (without technology) teaching practice on mathematics students performance and attention?
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY.
Technology has become part of every individual’s lives. Classrooms are part of life where every intellectual uses different means of understanding with the intention of passing exams, and for future application of knowledge. Teachers too have not been left behind as they have switched from the use of chalks and black boards in class to use of white boards with details projected from computers. Such innovations are expensive in terms of costs and applications, and therefore, require maximum efficiency in ensuring that they serve their differentiated functions. In most mathematical lessons, such innovations intend to improve on students’ participation, involvement, as well as, participation. It is, therefore, crucial to determine their impacts in measuring their effectiveness on performance so that they are not used from a technological shift perspective, but in search for betterment of services.
DEFINITION OF TERMS.
Performance: This is the quantitative aspect of results of students derived from tests in class or through observable behavioral features from grades.
Attention: This is the level interest and concentration that students have in mathematics lessons that use interactive white board technology.
White Board technology: This is the use of computers connected to projectors so that the information on the computers is displayed on the white boards. The users of this technology can make advantage of such features as drag and drop in data classification and matching responses to stimuli. Educators may also use it for ‘hide and reveal’ purposes that involves opening a hidden item when learners understand a concept. The technology is also useful on matching of equivalent elements or terms such as fractions. It also motivates learners through color usage that may be used in highlighting like terms for understanding. It is also useful in demonstrating mathematical principles such as angles, matrices, and integration procedures, amongst others.
Mathematics: This is a scientific discipline that applies formulas to provide solutions to puzzles. It differs from Physics as the latter uses physical concepts to form theories while it produces solutions that can be used for relationship identification and interpretation among phenomena.
LITERATURE REVIEW.
Amongst the new users of technology are instructors who use technology in different grade levels in coming up with effective means of delivery. Mathematics teachers incorporate it into their syllabus, and teaching methods in all grade levels. The use of interactive white boards is becoming a rooted method in teaching mathematics. As Sharma, Barrett, and Jones (2011) indicate students understand and learn a content fast with the use of technology. The use of the boards within the classrooms creates potentiality and enhances improvement in results as students become increasingly participative. In this study, student’s levels of participation and attention in mathematics will be referred to possess the same meaning as sustained focus, and engagement in lesson.
According to Averis, Glover, and Miller (2002), some of the lessons where instructors shift from using whiteboard to traditional way, lead to students veering off with some behavioral issues that prompt instructors to deviate from the lesson. The interactive whiteboard is in itself a motivator if the instructors’ abilities to integrate the different elements of the projector like color, and drag and drop keys.
The engagement of students is crucial in the lesson; some students are intrinsically motivated to learn while others need external driving forces to understand. As the levels of motivation to learn increase, chances of high levels of success become guaranteed. Some of the factors that boost motivation include instructor’s ability to create a ‘classroom environment’, skills, involvement, and use of technology. The latter motivates students through engagement and involvement in learning. The interactive white board, being a technological element, therefore, increases participation of learners (Sharma, Barrett, and Jones, 2011)
In his study, (Solvie, 2001) evaluated the correlation existing between the use of interactive white boards and student’s engagement and participation. The findings indicated that there exists a non-significant difference on performance of students using whiteboards with those applying the traditional methods of learning. In a related study, (Letham, 2002) found that the use of interactive white boards provides an effective way for active participation of both educators and learners. It was also highlighted that interactive white boards created potentiality amongst teachers, and promoted management of interactions in learning and teaching with high levels of concentration, and less distractions.
Bell (2002) notes that people (inclusive of students) value color and respond positively to displays that employ color. With the interactive white boards, color comes in variety of ranges, and it’s the instructor or through the opinion of the learners, to choose which color to use. This also ensures interaction and engagement.
The use of computers, videos, art, and websites in whiteboards enhance visual creations that interest learners in the subject. The lesson might be a challenge to students who are not motivated or have interest in other disciplines. The use of such elements motivates the learners to participate and engage in the lesson. Additionally, it creates a chance for the learners to engage with the instructors, as well as, the learning materials that may not be sufficiently available to all students.
Overall, most researchers and scholars find the use of interactive white boards in mathematics as a motivational way of encouraging learners in this challenging discipline. The method provides easiness of navigations across pages in a computer, ability to delete, and manipulate the available information. This makes the subject easier to engage, and teach as compared to traditional methods.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.
Community of learner’s model: provides that learning is a process of participation and shared endeavors. This contrasts the one-sided learning model that provides that learning comprises of adults who are transmitters and students as receivers of knowledge. It also contradicts the child-run model that argues that learning involves discoveries from an individual or peers. The community of learners’ model provides that learning involves transforming through participation where both mature and less-mature members are active, have no directing or knowing roles, and there exists no passive roles (Leonard, 2002). The theory provides that teachers and learners are members of a community that has and is looking for knowledge.
The cognitive apprenticeship model: Acknowledges that learning is accomplished when it is related to experiences and interests of learners. In this case, the adult acts as a mentor and the student as the apprentice (Kopp, 2013). The limitation of applying this theoretical provision in this study is that it fails to reflect learning methods or types available in the modern or digital learning.
Virtual architecture model: This involves organizing how educators and learners can use the internet for extended learning (Taylor and MacKenney, 2008). The model compares learning with rooms in different houses that may be designed differently but serve the same purpose. It provides that just as in different rooms in a house, which serve varied purposes or with different designs, so is the case with students studying together. That is, students’ uses of computers vary in accomplishment of different learning objectives. This is similar to how the technology provides different learning platforms that serve the same purpose of educating.
Connectivism learning theory: applies the potentiality to improve learning through the revision. It allows instructors to shift from controlling the contents of a course, and bypass traditional lecture presentations to using technology in locating, presenting, and making use of relevant knowledge. Siemens (2004) provides that the connectivism learning theory emphasizes on the necessity of providing instructions to students in search for knowledge. This theory will be useful in this study as it will facilitate the determination of what needs to be improved in order to embrace the white board technology in the future.
The available learning theories provide for diversity on the means used by educators in delivering knowledge. The use of technology has been highlighted as amongst effective means of enhancing student participation and involvement in class. Contemporary scholars provide that if the mode of teaching applied ensures participation, engagement, and attention, then educators should apply such in classrooms. According to Siemens (2004) none of these theories or concepts is universal in application, and, therefore, this limits the scope of their application in this study.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
The study will address quantitative and qualitative effects of an interactive white board, and its effects on participation. This will take place at a proposed elementary school made of up different ethnic backgrounds with an average of 800 students from fourth grade to sixth grade. This will involve observing and participatory research for four weeks. The target population will be one class within the scope. Twenty students of different ethnicity, to mark different levels of understanding, will make the sample (eleven girls and nine boys).
Observation will be used as the prime source of data collection (Creswell, 2014). Students will not be notified of the intentions of the observers. Student’s participation will be identified by; looking at the white board, looking at the educator, the extent of use of related material, and manipulation of props or materials used for content presentation during the lesson. Lack of response to the highlighted definitions will lead to an automatic tally against a student’s name. An observation schedule (FIGURE 1) will be used to tally observed behavior while using the interactive white boards and behavior without the white boards. A t-test will be used to test the significance of behavior from the two methodologies.
DATA ANALYSIS.
The t-test measure will be used for conducting a comparison of behavior and conduct during lessons with the use of interactive white boards and those without (Creswell, 2014). T-test results marked by the p value, which may be generated by Software such as SPSS or the use of R-Studio, will then be used to indicate the level of significance. P ranges from -1 to +1 (-1<p>1) (Laurel, 2003).
The average response per question will be obtained by summing up all the responses in a question then dividing by the number of respondents. This will be useful in determining what students feel about white boards relative to learning without white boards. Additionally, this will be the determining factor as to the effectiveness of white boards on motivation to learn, and student’s engagement in the lesson.
CONCLUSION.
It is not guaranteed that technological use leads to improvements in performance as cognitive and learning processes are, not deterministic. The results of this study will be guaranteed by use of ethical elements such as objectivity and not behaving in a manner that may disrupt student’s behavior during the lessons. The results of the survey may tilt on one side depending on the use and levels of investment on the technology. However, with the set procedures and design, the survey will provide the results as intended in determining the effectiveness of interactive white boards on performance and attention of mathematics students.
REFERENCE LIST.
Averis, D., Glover, D., & Miller, D. (2004). Motivation: The contribution of Interactive Whiteboards to Teaching and learning in Mathematics. Retrieved 15th September 2007.
http://cerme4.crm.es?Papers%20definitius/9/Miller-Glover-Averis.pdf.
Bell, M. A. (2002). Why use an Interactive Whiteboard? A baker’s dozen reasons! Teachers’. Net Gazette, 3(1), Retrieved on October 31, 2007. http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02/mabell.html
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
Kopp, K. (2013). Using interactive whiteboards in the classroom. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education.
Latham, P. (2002). Teaching and Learning primary Mathematics: The impact of interactive Whiteboards. Beam Education. Retrieved 12th July, 2007.
http://www.beam.co.uk/pdfs/RES03.pdf
Laurel, B. (2003). Design research: Methods and perspectives. Cambridge, Mass. ; London, England: MIT Press.
Leonard, D. C. (2002). Learning theories, A to Z. Westport, Conn: Oryx Press.
Sharma, P., Barrett, B., & Jones, F. (2011). 400 ideas for interactive whiteboards: Instant activities using technology. Oxford: Macmillan.
Solvie, P. A. (2001). The digital Whiteboards as a tool in increasing student Attention during early literacy instruction. Smarter Kids Foundation. Retrieved 12th July, 2007.
http://www.smarterkids.org/research/paper13.asp.
Taylor, G. R., & MacKenney, L. (2008). Improving human learning in the classroom: Theories and teaching practices. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Bottom of Form
APPENDIX.
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 2.
QUESTIONNAIRRE.
