5 Benefits of Using Smartboard In The Classroom
Time has changed. Students nowadays have easy access to digital media and technologies. They are watching videos on their smartphones, reading eBooks, and rarely visit libraries. The use of technology can indeed bring benefits to student development. However, at the same time, it also reduces their attention span.
When attention span is shortened, students can get distracted easily in the classroom especially when the learning materials are unexciting. Most traditional teaching tools such as chalkboards, whiteboards, and even projector screens are no longer suitable in today’s learning environment. They do not support an engaging and fun learning atmosphere.
Smartboard, which is also known as an interactive panel, is slowly gaining popularity recently. The technology allows the digital screen to display various digital contents. By utilizing a smart pen and its touch screen feature, it helps to create an interactive learning experience.
Some benefits of using smartboard in the classroom are
- Fully engaged and interactive learning experience
- Attention grabber to the classroom
- Brighter screen
- Lower maintenance cost
- Technology integration
1. Fully Engaged & Interactive Learning Experience
The best part of using a smartboard in the classroom is that it introduces a new education approach – interactive learning. Interactive learning requires active participation from both students and teachers. It is a learning method that focuses more on hands-on activities. In short, interactive learning is a form of active learning which requires students to learn by doing, not by listening passively.
The effectiveness of interactive learning depends greatly on the degree of interaction level that a tool can provide. This is the reason why smartboard is preferred over other traditional tools such as whiteboard and projector screen.
While whiteboard offers a very limited level of interaction, some smartboards allow up to 4 users to write on the screen simultaneously. The smart pens also allow students to write smoothly on the screen. Besides, students can also use their fingers to interact with the screen. All these features invite students to join forces and share their ideas on the screen right on the spot.
Smartboard is also very suitable to be used in a kindergarten or pre-school. Teachers can always ask children to answer questions by drawing or writing directly on the screen. By using interesting graphics and animations, teachers can create gamified lessons that increase students’ involvement. In the end, students are engaged, and the effectiveness of classroom learning is improved greatly.
2. Attention Grabber To The Classroom
Humans are visual creatures. All of us tend to focus more on vibrant and dynamic visuals. Materials that are written in chalks or marker pens are not able to attract students anymore. They are static with limited colours.
Smartboard is a great alternative to both chalkboard and whiteboard. Its high-definition screen can offer a sharper and vibrant picture. Besides, most smartboards in the market provide a variety of options in screen size. Whether it is a small or a large classroom, there is always a suitable screen size that can meet the required audience size.
Another feature that makes a smartboard stands out when compared to other traditional tools is its ability to display digital content. It can support a wide range of digital file formats such as videos, images, animations, graphics, PDFs, and PowerPoint Presentations. Digital content can attract attention and encourage students to act on it.
3. Brighter Screen
Traditional teaching tools such as whiteboards and projector screens have some disadvantages that can affect the learning experience badly. When the light is cast onto the whiteboard’s surface, glares might appear, and they can cause students to have a tough time reading the content.
Some schools went to replace both chalkboards and whiteboards with projector screens. Projector screen is a more advanced tool that can connect to the computer. Teachers can display teaching materials directly from the computers. This gives more flexibility in the preparation of lessons. However, the projector screen also results in some visibility issues. Its screen visibility can work in its optimal performance only when the room is dark enough. If the room is not dark enough, the projector screen can appear dimmer.
Smartboard or smart interactive panel is definitely the better tool when compared to traditional displays. The digital screen comes with a higher level of brightness. The screen visibility is guaranteed under any room condition. Besides, the screen brightness can be adjusted too.
When the screen is bright enough, visibility is not an issue anymore and students can focus more easily on the teaching content.
4. Lower Maintenance Cost
Some institutions are still having doubts about using digital technologies and tools in teaching applications. They feel that digital tools are complicated and might require higher maintenance costs.
We cannot deny that training is always required before staff can handle the digital tools. However, in general, digital tools actually require lower maintenance costs when compared to other traditional tools. Digital tools such as smartboards or smart interactive panels are actually inspected and tested before they can be sold to the public. Hence, the risky of faulty equipment is further reduced.
Over the long term, smartboards do not need frequent service and maintenance. On the other hand, whiteboards need frequent maintenance. Teachers need to always refill marker pens. The whiteboard surface needs to be cleaned once in a while to remove the dirty residues.
Projector screen is another traditional display that can result in a very high maintenance cost over the long term. It requires ongoing maintenance. The filter and the fan need to be serviced constantly to avoid overheating.
Unlike projector screen and whiteboard, smartboard does not need any ongoing maintenance. Teachers only need to clean the screens once in a while to remove dust and oily fingerprints. Ultimately, when the maintenance cost is reduced, the institution or the school can spend more money in other areas that can benefits both students and teachers.
5. Technology Integration
Smartboard is a very versatile and flexible display. It supports various connection options such as HDMI, USB, audio ports, and wireless connection. These connections will then provide access to various other digital tools and resources, such as laptops, computers, cameras, microscopes, mobile phones, and internet browsers.
For example, a conference camera can be connected to the smartboard to enable remote learning. Students can join a remote meeting to learn from other tutors who are not physically attending. Besides, when an internet browser is accessible, both students and teachers can have access to various online resources. This can help them to look for any good references such as images and videos during the lessons.
The flexibility is high enough to allow teachers to apply different learning styles in their lessons. Teachers can utilize all sorts of digital content to make the lessons more interesting. Teachers can also access Google Map anytime during the geography classes.
Conclusion
We believe the applications of smartboards in schools and education centres can really benefit both students and teachers. Anyone who wishes to provide the best learning experience to students should consider in investing smartboards. Interactive learning is the future!