INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD Based on Interactive whiteboard in Education, there are two very different kind of interactive whiteboard.

The first is a virtual electronic version of drywipe board on a computer that enables learners in a virtual classroom to view what instructor, presenters or fellow learner writes or draws. It is also called an electronic whiteboard and can be found in conferencing and data-sharing systems such as Microsoft NetMeeting. The second type of IWB is a large physical display panel that can function as an ordinary whiteboard, a projector screen, an electronic copy board or as a computer projector screen on which the computer image can be controlled by touching or writing on the surface of the panel instead of using a mouse or keyboard. We will discuss about the second type of interactive whiteboard. According to Wikipedia, an interactive whiteboard is a large interactive display that connects to a computer. A projector projects computers desktop onto the boards surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or floor stand. Interactive whiteboard are used in a variety of setting including classrooms at all levels of education in corporate board rooms and work groups in training rooms for professional sport coaching in broadcasting studios and others. In a simpler word, an interactive whiteboard is an electronic whiteboard that connect to computer. The computer connects to projector which projects the image onto the surface of the board. The whiteboard can be touched and manipulated by using the users fingertips or with markers provided. SMART Board is a brand mane for one manufacturer of electronic whiteboard. Whiteboard can be front projection or rear projection. Front projection have the problem of the users shadow obscuring the image on the board while rear projection do not have this problem but some of the projector mounted on the top of the board which helps this problem. Typically, IWB are used in lecture or classroom environment for delivering the lesson and technology allows us to write or draw on the surface, print off the image and save it to computer or distribute it over a network. We can also project a computer screen image onto surface of IWB and then either control the application by touching the board directly or by using a special pen. IWB is like a ordinary whiteboard but its size is little bit smaller than ordinary whiteboard. It is connected to computer via USB port or serial port cable. The computers video input is

connected to a digital projector so that the images may be appearing on the surface of IWB. Besides that, a driver is usually installed on the attached computer so that the interactive whiteboard can act like Human Input Device (HID) like a mouse. It will be easier for the user to use the IWB smoothly. If text input is required, user can invoke an on-screen keyboard or, if the whiteboard provides for this, utilize handwriting recognition. This will makes it unnecessary to go to the computer keyboard to enter text. Just play around the whiteboard. Thus, an IWB emulates both mouse and keyboard. The user can conduct a presentation or other uses almost from the whiteboard. Besides that, almost all IWB are supplied with software that provides tools and features specifically designed to maximize interaction opportunities. Generally it includes the ability to create virtual versions of paper flipcharts, pen and highlighter options and possibly rulers, protectors and compasses. All the material is used traditionally in classroom as teaching aids. Picture below shows the component of using the interactive whiteboard:

Nowadays, the interactive whiteboard is used in many schools around the world. For example is at Oxford school in Centerbury. It is used to record information that can be downloading to a computer and emailed. All student have access to the internet and telecommunications link the school others in the region. The IWB industry was expected to reach the sale up to US1 billoin worldwide by 2008 and one of every seven classrooms in the world was expected to feature an interactive whiteboard by 2011 according to the market research by Futuresource Consulting. Picture below show the children use interactive whiteboard in their lesson with the help of teacher:

According to the picture, students themselves can count, write, erase or move the object. Teachers just facilitate the student to do and learn with their own style.

Uses of Interactive Whiteboard

Overall, the uses of interactive whiteboard include :

Running software that is loaded onto the connected PC, such as a web browsers or other software used in the classroom.

Capturing and saving notes written on a whiteboard to the connected PC Capturing notes written on a graphics tablet connected to the whiteboard Controlling the PC from the white board using click and drag, markup which annotates a program or presentation

Using OCR software to translate cursive writing on a graphics tablet into text Using an Audience Response System so that presenters can poll a classroom audience or conduct quizzes, capturing feedback onto the whiteboard

Advantages of using interactive white board

From the discussion about the Interactive whiteboard, it is one of the latest technologies in education. Interactive whiteboard brought many advantages to the user. One of the advantages is it provide electronically the entire familiar features of a traditional classroom or ordinary blackboard. It brings the differences to the method of teaching and learning. It will give an idea for teacher to use various type of teaching and learning besides can easily attract the student to learn with IWB.

Besides that, IWB replace the situation in which a large group of crowding people sharing a single computer. In Malaysia, mostly the schools computer is limited and also broken. So, students need to share single computer for 5 person. The lesson not run smoothly because of course there is student not pay attention to the computer. With the use of IWB, it allows a

large group to sit and participate comfortably in class or presentation. They can sit on their own chairs without need to scrambling to look ahead. The lesson or presentation becomes more effective. With the use of an IWB, it can help the teacher to use this medium with ease for presentations from the front of the room. Teachers do not have to commute to computer because it wastes the time.

Presentation or lesson can improve and enhance by integrating video, animation, graphics, text and also audio with the spoken presentation. The lesson will more interactive and avoid the student from feel sleepy. This is one of the best solutions to encourage the student in interest in learning. Children in primary school easy to attract the learning if the teacher teach like this and use IWB frequently. For secondary school, it also can attract the student to learn effectively but with the selective and suitable topic because sometimes the topics no need to use interactive teaching. IWB allows the student to absorb information more easily. They learn with an interesting teaching aid.

In addition, by using IWB, we can display material from other sources such as CDROMs , DVDs, tapes, television and websites. Various sources make the lesson more significant and we can get many new information. There are other methods of presentation of information on the horizon offering further flexibility. This technology will help the teacher to enhance the presentation content by easily integrating a wide range of material into a lesson such as a graph from spreadsheet, a picture, and video from internet or text from Microsoft word file. This is an extra to teacher and student annotation on these objects.

One other the unique of interactive whiteboard is we can edit the information directly during the lesson from whiteboard and save any changes or additional information to the computer. Not necessary for us to go to the computer and made the changes. By using IWB, indirectly will save the time. Interactive whiteboard also give benefit to student from the interaction with the knowledge and task, both personally and socially. Social skill is built from this activity using IWB. It is very important for encourage student in social.

Notes, diagrams and all lesson or presentations can be saves, archieved and added to the internet or similar centralized resources in that time if the connecting is good. It means that

the presentation or lesson can already saved for the next period. Other advantage of IWB is it will help in broadening the use of e-learning because they rapidly demonstrate the potential of alternative modes of delivery.

Besides that, the use of IWB allows teacher to create easily and rapidly customized learning objects from a range of existing content and to adapt it to the needs of the class in real time. IWB also creates a collaborative layout and an environment of engagement so that there is naturally more dialogue between teacher and student peer-to-peer and within groups. IWB turn on active learning environment, cheerful and enthusiastic. All students participate in learning in class and the teacher can control the class well because the teacher stole the attention of students using this technology.

According to the views and perceptions of use of IWB in schools, some student are better and more motivated. This is the useful way for teacher to getting feedback on ideas from their student. If we want, we can kit the audience with keypads from the Xpress Audience Response System and link them up with computer in the interactive whiteboard setup and get responses in real time on the computer screen. Teachers can get responses from student in term of exam, test questions, contests, or voting.

Interactive Whiteboard is one of the effective methods of presenting ideas whether to teachers, students or prospects. The technology used able to complete learning and presentations effectively because it provide many uses such as can connect to wireless, can write on whiteboard as traditional whiteboard, can touch the screen of IWB and others. When used for interactive testing of understanding for the entire class, they can rapidly provide learner feedback.

United Kingdom is one of the country us Interactive Whiteboard in their school : The Advantages

Interactive whiteboard are being used extensively in United Kingdom school and in further and higher education. IWB are most often used by teacher training departments, they

are some instances of their use across most discipline grouping. In UK, interactive whiteboard be used to write over the top of programmes to highlight and annotate points. Besides that, it is used to view and navigate the internet from the whiteboard. Surf and display websites that the entire room will be able to see in a teacher-directed manner. IWB also can promote group working. Student can approach the whiteboard and add their contribution to the discussion by writing to IWB. Other student can see the solution of the problem directly on whiteboard.

United Kingdom is the develop country. Their education level is advance compared to our country. IWB is used widely in this country. With IWB encourage work collaboratively on word processing document, spreadsheet and others. It also connects to video conferencing systems. IWB offers the same features as traditional whiteboard such as it can write directly on the board, marking objects, highlighting or labeling element on screen, and erasing errors. IWB allows user in editing on-screen and recording of the changes or addition the information. The different just the technology provided can show that the education of our country is become advance with time.

Other than that, the reason why the school in United Kingdom use IWB because it provide an electronic flipchart up to 99 pages with all notes and diagrams saved as HTML file for later use across an intranet, allowing an archieve to be easily maintained and displayed. IWB also allows the student or teacher to save the notes and if the student missed the presentation, they can find the back up in IWB.

IWB very useful because student or teacher can create drawings notes and concept maps in class time which can be saved for future reference or issued as instant handout for the lesson given. IWB also cater more effectively for visually-impaired students and other students with special needs for example is drag and drop exercises with graphics instead of text to test learning. Besides that, IWB can show video clips that explain difficult concept. These show why UK use this technology in their teaching and learning. .

Disadvantages Of Using Interactive Whiteboard

From the advantages that had discussed, Interactive whiteboard also bring some disadvantages that must take note for those school or private user use the IWB. One of disadvantages is in term of cost. The cost must we highlight is the material and maintenance. IWB is far expensive compare to traditional whiteboard or projector screen. While this may not pose a problem for large corporations wanting to use these tools in their meeting rooms, it makes them difficult for some schools and nonprofit organizations to obtain. The costs of IWB approximately two thousand ringgit. If we buy traditional whiteboard, we can get more pieces of whiteboard. The surface of IWB is sensitive. It can be easily marred and stained. If we

mistakenly use a marker on IWB, the stain impossible to remove. Consequently, the damage of IWB results in costly repairs.

Not all computers can be connected to the IWB. Only selected computers can be functioning. Interactive whiteboard will work with PCs and Macs. With the use of IWB, it not only think for the cost of the whiteboard, but also the computer. Typically, IWB support a wide range of common resolutions including VGA, XGA, SVGA and SXGA. It seems like a trivial thing but it's very difficult because we have to ensure that the computer must be able to be connected to the whiteboard.

Like we discuss one of the benefits of interactive whiteboards that is ability to allow simultaneous data entry from multiple points, some board can jumble or distort information coming from several input devices at once. This is the disadvantages of Interactive Whiteboard that cannot be avoid if there is no close monitoring is done. IWB offers meeting or presentation participants the ability to access the board remotely. This empowers users to send disruptive and off-topic comments and information to the screen.

Other than that, the disadvantages of IWB is if multiple data entry is allowed, inputs can get mixed which resulting in on-screen gibberish. Besides that, if remote access is allowed, some users may be tempted to send disruptive. The IWB screen is sometimes is not sensitive enough. The students or teachers have tried several times to move objects on the screen and

so on. This will slow down the learning process and sometimes spoil the mood presenters either teacher or student. To use this IWB, it requires specific software to connect from whiteboard and computer. If no software, the function as interactive whiteboard is nothing.

In term of the use of interactive whiteboard in school in our country, it not suitable because the capacity in one class approximately 35 people. The possible thing happen is teacher cannot control all people closely and of course there is student not pay attention what teacher teaching in front or during other group of student come in front to present the lesson. Frequently happen to the children.

Interactivity of interactive whiteboard will facilitates active learning but if the teachers not control their student and ignore the learning outcome, maybe the student cant achieve objective of the lesson because they are too happy with the interactive of IWB. For this situation, role of the teacher is very important for always remember to student the objective of the lesson for that day so that student know what they must highlight in their subject. This is the disadvantages if IWB. Although it is interactive, but it will give bad effect if it not managed rightly.

Security aspect is one of the disadvantages of IWB. The material of this technology is very expensive. It must store in safe place. Tendency of being stolen is tremendously high. The thief will sold back the material of interactive whiteboard. If IWB is put in every class, the guard difficult to take cares all the interactive whiteboard. One other problem is the student behavior. Sometimes they smearing the whiteboard with permanent marker. So, it must have the well and good monitoring.

Conclusion

All the things happen in this world must have the advantages and disadvantages. As well as Interactive Whiteboard. From the finding of advantages and disadvantages of interactive whiteboard, we can see that interactive whiteboard is suitable to use in school for teaching and learning but it must carefully in handling this technology. Role of teachers is very important to

make sure the teaching and learning run smoothly. Students also must take part in all the method teacher use and use this technology rightly and not broken this IWB.

In Malaysia, IWB not widely available yet. The main point why the use of IWB is not widespread in Malaysia is because it is high cost of purchase and cost of repair. School had to spend a lot of money for this technology. So, good money management is very necessary for every school. Donation from teachers, parent and all people are most welcome in buying an Interactive Whiteboard. From the discussion, we can see the advantages are more comparing to disadvantages. Besides that, the main point of disadvantages of is cost.

For the suggestion, every school must have at least two interactive whiteboard in school and put in computer laboratory. So that teachers can take turns using this technology. All students will be able to feel the use of the IWB. IWB does not need to be used often because it depends on the topic on what teachers to teach. The use of this technology will stimulate learning effective, systematic and effective.

References The Advantages of Interactive Whiteboard Retrieve from

http://www.tekgia.com/product_info.php/products_id/293 Interactive Whiteboard. Retrieve from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_whiteboard Owen Pearson The Disadvantages of Interactive whiteboard.

http://www.ehow.com/list_5969798_disadvantages-interactive-whiteboards.html Koenraad, A.L.M. (2008).Interactive Whiteboard In Educational Practice : The Research Literature Reviewed.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:dcuuJYVvwSQJ:www.elearningeuropa.info/files/ media/media24055.pdf+&hl=en&gl=my&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgYT959jtfHJKbz11FyR_nUoVKj dH2d2L9yCMBnsjf22E2H4SWP4nKmOtTj4XAg5wxY8LDTPfWgXlmaoH7Uy0UZ1rupqEZ2niiAA OkX8Y2NTGZxR4ooFeTZt8IJLGZ8CQSO8oM&sig=AHIEtbTbUdKrFNVjIp_5FZYBZKq9MuHzp w