Drumcondra Education Centre - Interactive Whiteboards

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The Interactive Whiteboard (CBI) Project - ICS, CESI and DEC

This project aims to suppport schools who are thinking of purchasing an Interactive Whiteboard(s) or who have recently made such purchase(s). Specificically, the project's aim is to investigate the effectiveness or otherwise of using Interactive Whiteboards in the classroom.

The objectives of the project are:

• to investigate the impact on whole-class teaching
• to investigate the impact on learning
• to see if new teaching/learning strategies are developed
• to create a database of teaching/learning resources
• to create new curriculum-based resources
• to publish and disseminate research outcomes

Timescale of the Project: The project will run over the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 academic years (with an extension to be considered for Phase II schools: an initial finding is that 'change' needs at least 18 months to embed). The schools will conduct their own research, as well as engaging with the body of research that is being developed. Each school has been provided with an Interactive Whiteboard and a Data Projector (all fully installed). The schools are now embarking on the creative process of using the technology to support teaching and learning.

The project is managed by myself, David Kearney. I work as ICT Advisor with Drumcondra Education Centre (http://www.ecdrumcondra.ie) where I provide support and advice covering a range of ICT matters in schools in North Dublin (Ireland): one of my supports is a general ICT website (http://homepage.eircom.net/~ictadvisor). Outside of work hours, I work with a voluntary association of teachers who use and promote ICT in the classroom; it was through this Computer Education Society of Ireland (http://www.cesi.ie) that I met and found support for this project from the Irish Computer Society (http://www.ics.ie), without whose backing and financial support this project could not have started.

Project Background: Having read about CBIs, and then having seen them at the BETT show, I made a presentation at the CESI Annual Conference in 2004. Further, at a symposium "New Futures for Learning", Charles Clarke (at the time, Minister of State for the Department for Education and Skills in the U.K.) spoke with enthusiasm about the impact this technolgy was already having in the UK, and the degree to which the project was funded. The seed was sown! Irish schools are themselves investing large amounts of funding in CBIs, and it was important that the schools have access to impartial advice.