Summary and Recommendations

Summary

            The results of this research did not show a strong correlation between IWB instruction and student learning.  The greatest impact on learning was seen in quiz one with a 1.4 grade difference; on the other hand, students performed better on quiz two and three without IWB instruction.  A summary of the quantitative data showed class A with 8% of quizzes scoring average or above when learning with an IWB. The difference of 8% between the two groups suggest that IWBs do impact learning, if only slightly. 

According to qualitative data, students feel strongly that IWBs help them learn. The qualitative results of the Promethean board survey show that both classes thought Promethean boards make learning easier. Based on qualitative data, student surveys, and quantitative data, 8% score increase, Promethean board technology is a sound investment for school districts. However, districts should consider investing in other forms of technology as well.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion

Students who effortlessly navigate technology outside of school are often disinterested in teacher led lessons and print based classrooms. For this reason, teachers are using a variety of technology to engage students and teach 21^st century skills. Interactive whiteboards are becoming a key feature in many classrooms, and often, IWBs are the sole form of technology. The goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of interactive whiteboards in the fifth grade English language arts classroom.  According to this study, IWBs do not have a clear impact on student learning.  However, according to qualitative results, most students thought Promethean boards made learning easier by helping them pay attention to lessons.  Likewise, the researcher noted an increase in student interest and engagement.  For example, students in the IWB group participated in the discussions and worked cooperatively to explore solutions to problems presented on the IWB. While the research on the effects of IWBs on learning was inclusive, it does confirm the idea that technology integrated lessons increase engagement and student interest.    

Many school districts invest a large sum of their technology budgets in IWB technology. However, investing in one form of technology as a solution to instructing and engaging digital natives may not be the answer especially when research confirming the effectiveness of IWBs on learning is inconclusive.  Alternatively, investments in electronic notebooks or computer tablets would be a better option.  IWBs allow teachers to engage students with technology in whole group settings; however, other forms of technology allow for more project based learning and exploration.  IWBs should be a part of the technology rich classroom, but they should be one form in a host of technology tools available to students.