Nov 13, 2014
The IWB Developments in their Holistic Context - in Schools and Education Authorities, Historically and Geographically
Mal Lee Broulee, Australia
The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution 1
The second revolutionary instructional technology
200 plus years after the first
The Teaching Board
Harbinger of a fundamental change in teaching
We’re not there yet but .......
The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution 2
Finally a digital instructional technology acceptable to all
Facilitating the digital shift - profound historic implicationsCatalytic impact
upon development of digital schools
Shift from traditional to digital operational mode - with associated implications
The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution 3
A work in progress - yet at the beginning of change
A small but crucial part of the total educative process
The Macro Imperative
Necessity of researching the use of classroom digital instructional technology in its macro context - historically and globally, within the wider school community and education authority
The vital and growing interrelatedness of the influences
The Presentation’s Foundations
Three recent ACER Press (Australia) publications
• Lee M and Gaffney M, eds, 2008, Leading a Digital School
• Lee M and Winzenried A, 2009, The Use of Instructional Technology in Schools - Lessons to be Learned
• Betcher C and Lee M, 2009, The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution - A teacher’s guide to IWBs
The Presentation’s Foundations
One other in the pipeline
• Lee M and Finger G, eds, 2010 release, The Home School Nexus and the development of networked School Communities
• Conference paper - simply amplifies, and provides supporting references for this presentation
Key Nomenclature 1Instructional Technology
“any device available to teachers for use in instructing students in a more efficient and stimulating manner than the sole use of the teachers voice” (Cuban, 1986)
Digital Technology
Used in preference to ICT, which as explored in Lee and Winzenried, is now dated, and does not highlight the core digital element
Key Nomenclature 2
Digital Takeoff
The rapid surge in the everyday use of digital instructional technologies by a critical mass of the teachers in a school
Digital Schools
Those schools where the teaching materials, and the administration and communication systems are predominantly digital
Key Nomenclature 3
Digital Toolkit
The suite of ever-evolving digital technologies - software and hardware - teachers can use in their teaching
Historical Context - Findings from C20
Teacher use of electronic powered instructional technology throughout the C20 was miniscule - and remains so in the majority of classrooms in the developed and developing world today
If teachers don’t use technology..........
Findings from C20 -1
Only two comprehensive studies undertaken of teacher usage of instructional technology
Larry Cuban - Teachers and Machines, 1986
Lee and Winzenried - The Use of Instructional Technology in Schools, 2009
Teachers as the gatekeepers of the classroom were largely excluded..........
Findings from C20 -2Teachers were blamed for the failure to use each of the ‘revolutionary’ instructional technologies from the 1920’s onwards
All major instructional technologies developed by private industry - to make a profit
Profound impact of the major technology companies - on the choice of instructional technology
Findings from C20 -3
Focus on the technology - not teaching
Implementation strategies consistently ineffectual
All instructional technology will move through a common, finite life cycle
Instructional technology of C20 - with one major exception - was designed for the general consumer or office markets. Teachers had to make do
The one exception - the IWB
Findings from C20 -4
All new technology will be used initially to replicate the ways of old
Time is needed for new ways to emerge (Naiksbitt 1984)
Miniscule recurrent funding
Unintended deleterious impact of school-based management (SBM) particularly in mid-sized and small schools
The Pathfinding Schools 1
‘Overnight’ achieved total teacher and student use of IWBs and related technology
Digital take off
Significant student and parent acceptance and excitement
For the first time teachers clamoured for an instructional technology
Impact of ever rising teacher and student expectations
The Pathfinding Schools 2
Impact of critical mass of IWBs and teachers using them
Catalytic influence on emergence of digital schools
Evident globally
Key Historic Phases
1995 - 2002 ‘Ramping Up’
2003 - 2009 ‘Digital Take Off’
1995 - 2002 Ramping Up 1
Educational potential of the digital and ‘Net apparent to prescient leaders
National productivity, vision of digital future and implementation of comprehensive school, education authority and national strategies
Schools - 1995 - ‘telecommunication deserts’
Initial investment in school network infrastructure
1995 - 2002 Ramping Up 2
Surge in domestic use of all manner of digital technologies - ‘Net Generation’ acquiring ICT competencies in home
Pioneering education authorities begin to exert control over technology corporation
Embryonic digital classroom technologies evolve
2003 - 2009 Digital Take Off - of the proactive 1
‘Triple Convergence’ - Friedman - Confluence of key technological developments
Networks in place
Maturation and affordability of key digital classroom technologies - IWB, data projectors
Maturation and affordability of ‘digital toolkit’
Web 2.0 evolves
2003 - 2009 Digital Take Off - of the proactive 2
High level recognition of the impact of quality teachers - and importance of teacher acceptance of technology
Pathfinding school and education authority leadership
Significant supplementary funding
Youth embrace the use of digital in their lives
Evolution of IWBs 1
First Smart Technologies IWB sold 1991
Initial Smart and Promethean IWBs sold to universities
Built upon teaching board operational principles
1998 - Smart Notes 2.0 released
Dependence on affordable, efficient data projectors for front projection IWBs
Relative maturation and affordability achieved around 2002 -2003
Evolution of IWBs 2Contrast between ‘teaching’ and ‘presentation’ boards
Sustained commitment by ‘teaching board’ providers to education
Industry ‘shake-out’
Emergence of IWBs as classroom digital integrators - from mid 2000s
Evolution of digital teaching hubs - using ever expanding digital toolkit
Emergence of global IWB teaching software industry - driven by Uk investment
Historic Growth of IWBs
IWBs of Late
Market dominance of quality teaching boards
Proven longevity, reliability of IWB technology - 10 year plus lifespan
Low cost of ownership increasingly evident
Contrast between ‘license free’ IWB software and upgrades and PC software
Benefits of strong market competition
Continued dominance of front projection IWBs - with emerging alternatives
IWBs of Late
Shift to short throw data projectors - approx 50% by 2012
Regional variability in teacher acceptance of IWB company ‘add ons’
Significance of company IMM teaching resource banks
Proactive – Reactive Scenario 1995 - 2009
Apparently global, with schools, education authorities and nations
In reality – points along a continuum – each attribute
Many reactive schools, education authorities and developed nations still in mid 90s
Difficulty – if not near impossibility – of bridging the divide
Educative Power of Domestic Digital Technology
The level of digital instructional technology in the average home has always exceeded that in the average classroom
The home – school digital difference has continued to grow since the mid 90s, and will continue into the future
The young across the world have embraced digital technologies into their lives
The young are developing their digital competencies primarily in the home
Educative Power of Domestic Digital Technology
Parents strongly supportive of the use of digital technology in the home
Home and the mobile technology provide the young 24/7/365 use of the technology
Smart phones/handheld PCs fast providing globally ‘ubiquitous’ computing
Classroom use of Smartphones/handheld PCs banned in the vast majority of schools globally
Educative Power of Domestic Digital Technology
Parents and students increasingly embraced collaborative and networked mode
Educational bureaucracies retaining hierarchical mode
Educative Power of Domestic Digital Technology
‘It’s when a technology becomes normal, then ubiquitous, and finally so pervasive as to be invisible, that the really profound changes happen, and for young people today, our new social tools have passed normal and are heading to ubiquitous, and invisible is coming (Shirky, 2008, p105)’
Historical Context - Reflection
Questions/Comments
Observations requiring clarification or substantiation
Where do you see need for more research?
Geographical Context
Industry data courtesy Colin Messenger, Futuresource
Regional sales of IWBs
Percentage of nations’ classrooms with IWBs
Projected sales of IWBs globally to 2012
Significant DevelopmentsUK and Mexico - national government involvement
US, Aust, NZ – no national government involvement
4% takeoff
Global spread and diversity
Low SE Asia figures
Low Canadian and European sales
30 plus nations at tender stage
Research and Global ContextPerceived inclination for researchers to extrapolate globally from own local context
Strongly apparent in US instructional technology research for decades - increasingly evident in UK research
Marked inclination not to seek out, or to acknowledge significant developments elsewhere in world
Significance of national, very often regional context
Where the development transcends all national boundaries
School Context - Solution
Simultaneous, multi-faceted, and sustained addressing of a suite of nine human and technological variables
Focus on enhancing teaching
Human change paramount
Solutions context specific
Onus on each school
Relative ease of achieving total teacher usage at school level
The Nine Variables
Teacher Acceptance
Working with the givens
Teacher training and development support
Nature and availability of technology
Appropriate content and software
Infrastructure
Finance
School and Education Authority Leadership
Implementation
Teacher Acceptance
Invariably disenfranchised
Gatekeepers to the classroom
Educational value
Assists their teaching
Comfortable to use
Working with the givens
Teach classes – not individuals
Manage classes
Teach within classrooms – with limitations
Crowded curriculum
Limited teaching time
Use of tools within classroom
Teacher training and teacher development support
Fundamental importance
Nature
Expectations
Normalised into all operations
Resourced
Sustained
Nature and availability of the technology
Assists teaching – does not oblige change
Integration with teaching
Operates within givens
Comfortable and reliable
Enhances efficiency
Affordable
History of ‘making do’
Continuing shortcomings
Appropriate content/software
Current situation
Confluence of ‘recent’ developments
Availability of quality ‘IWB’ IMM teaching applications
UK stimulated global ‘IWB’ IMM teaching software
IWB industry resource banks
Proactive – reactive ‘Net access continuum
Infrastructure
Centrality
Importance of total class broadband access
Reliability and 100% ‘uptime’
Future proofed
Appropriate support
Digital integration
Finance
Commitment
Pathfinders – including low SES
Re-prioritising
Total cost of ownership
Paper-based mode of funding
Appropriate networked model of funding required
Leadership
Fundamental importance
Historic shortcomings
Inadequate development
Architects of digital school
Taking prime responsibility
Implementation
Historic pattern
Deleterious impact of discrete ICT plans
Importance of holistic, integrated whole school development strategy and planning
On-going refinement, measurement and evaluation
A 10th variable? – Information Services and Management
May not be critical, but vital
Apparent in all case studies
Growing importance
Centrality to lesson collaboration, asset management and enhanced efficiency
Additional Reasons for IWB Acceptance
Graduated teacher take up
Builds on the known
Ability to be securely installed in every teaching room, K-12
Excitement and attraction in use
Responsiveness to on-going change and enhancement
Facility to use with full spectrum of teaching situations – from individual to large group
Scant cost to classroom teacher
IWB Impact – at school level 1
Rapid teacher, student and parent acceptance – and excitement when implemented wisely
Student attraction
Enhanced student attendance, and student behaviour
Digital integrator
Ever rising teacher and student expectations
Paper to digital shift
IWB Impact – at school level 2
Enhanced teacher collaboration
Enhanced teacher efficiency
Catalytic impact of a critical mass of digital users on shift to digital schooling
Whole school normalisation of the digital
Impact on Student Attainment 1You know as well as me
Plethora of factors at play
Growing challenge of digital integration
Well covered by Balanskat, Blamire & Kefala (2006)
Enhanced student attainment within basic skills tests in low attaining schools
Challenge of upper quartile/high SES
Probably increased coverage of teaching program
Impact on Student Attainment 2
Marzano Claim
The School Context – Reflecton
Questions/Comments
Where do you see the need for more research?
Laud the achievement of IWBsCelebrate the progress made – so recently and rapidly
Compliment the teachers’ embracing digital technology
Recognise the historic/revolutionary change to digital teaching materials
Highlight the advanced teacher efficiency and productivity emanating from their use
Celebrate youth’s digital competency
Laud the attainments of pathfinder schools and education authority leaders
Laud the achievement of IWBs
Recognise we are at the dawn of the 2nd great instructional technology
Laud the achievement of IWBs
Appreciate the educational and historical significance of this Becta conclusion;
This sharp rise in the use of ICT resources in the curriculum has been driven to a large extent by the adoption of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and related technologies. Interactive whiteboards are a popular technology, in heavy demand by schools and practitioners. They offer transparent benefits to learning and teaching. That is, it is easy for institutions and teachers to recognise how IWBs enrich and enhance learning and teaching – something which may not always be so immediately transparent to practitioners in the case of other technologies’ (Becta, 2007 p66)
Contact Details
Mal Lee
[email protected]: malcolmrlee
+61 2 44 717 947
PO Box 5010BrouleeAustralia 2537
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