The use of smart boards presents numerous benefits both to the tutor and the University student. This sophisticated technology can transform the classroom into a fun learning environment. Who said learning had to be stressing and boring? For the few who have taken it up, it has proved to be fascinating and fun. In fact, it has turned out to marvel students and teachers alike.
Just a few of the most significant benefits that this state of the art technology brings to the classroom are discussed below:
The Enhancement of the Teaching and Learning Experience
The of use smart boards can considerably enhance the learning experience of music students. This also applies to all other studies as well. Not only does the student enjoy the lesson, so does the educator.
The touch screen capabilities that the smart boards come with also make the learning process more enjoyable. With a simple touch on the screen, the teacher and the student alike can interact with the board in ways never imagined before. The smart board also enables the combination of some tools that make the learning experience more enriching. For instance, the tutor can connect with certain hardware peripherals and even utilize third party software particularly meant to make the smart board’s experience even more rewarding.
Classroom games meant to enhance the learning process can also be played on the board. Actual board games, on the other hand, can be played on the smart board itself.
Interactive Technology
The use of smart boards enables students to interact, simulate and document their learning experiences in solving real world problems. This interaction happens both among learners and between learners and instructors.
With smartboards, the students can bring their own devices like iPads and notebooks and interact with the Smartboard in real time. Furthermore, this interaction provides a means for instant assessment and immediate feedback from the teacher. This technology is also very suitable for distance learning and e-learning, ensuring the students participate in discussions as if they were in a physical classroom.
Brainstorming on ideas in the classroom is very easy with this technology. Students can share the ideas by speaking, using text, drawings, and videos.
Easy Access to Online Resources and Tools
The education sector has not been left behind in the adoption of cloud computing technologies and the revolution going on in the web. Cloud computing has led to the access of a variety of information from the internet in real time.
Smart boards enable the teachers and learners to access a broad range of rich online databases to enhance their teaching and learning respectively. With an extensive collection of online videos, online articles, and even news items, the student is bound to grasp concepts faster than before when they only would rely on the information provided by the lecturers.
Environmental Friendliness
The era of continued concerns about environmental pollution and climate change implies that the uptake of smart boards and interactive whiteboards would not have been better timed. Smart boards eliminate the need for paper, hence reducing on deforestation. Additionally, smart boards eliminate the need for writing, printing or photocopying.
Without having to use paper, no trees will have to be cut down. Secondly, printing and photocopying are eliminated with the use of smart boards. The savings on energy achieved by this, plus the fact that ink does not need to be produced anymore leads to significant environmental benefits.
Technology Integration
The use of different technology and media in one single learning session is a major benefit of smart boards. This technology allows for the integration of various technologies easily, for example, the use of images combined with video clips and text would only mean a better understanding by the learner.
Additionally, smart boards allow for the interaction of different hardware to enhance the learning experience. For instance, they can be connected to video cameras, microscopes, microphones and document cameras. It is also possible to integrate these smart boards with a broad range of software.
Collaboration and Communication
Smart boards enhance communication and collaboration. In fact, the use of smart boards increased the communication and collaboration by autistic students significantly.
Student to student and student to tutor interactions are highly improved by using smart boards. These interactions happen regardless of the physical locations of these collaborators. As mentioned above, smart boards have significantly made it easier for distance learning and e-learning more rewarding.
Apart from remote collaboration, the smart board also provides tools to enable collaboration between students in the same classroom. It is built in such a way that students can interact on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the same screen consecutively.
Technology in the Classroom
Considering it is the 21st century, many changes have been brought about by technology. People are using technology to collaborate at the workplace. Additionally, there have been increased research into the use of technology at home, creating smart homes. By using smart boards and the other technologies that work with it, students will be prepared for the world in which they will live in once they finish school.