As the government is investing so much money in interactive whiteboard technology there is much research going on to ascertain if this is money well spent. Early indications are that it is. More and more about the impact of interactive whiteboards on teaching and learning can be found in published books at the library. However, the technology is still relatively new and the amount of published research on the internet is more substantial. On this page I will highlight some of the more interesting findings of researchers and give pointers to websites where you can find out more if you are so inclined.

The Fischer Family Trust has been collecting and publishing information based on teachers' evaluations since 1999. According to research carried out in 2002/03,

Julie Coghill, after some small-scale research involving three teachers who have used the interactive whiteboard regularly, concluded that whiteboards have the potential to:

* Taken from "Some effects on teaching with an interactive whiteboard in a primary school" in Computer Education Issue 106 NAACE

Becta carried out an online survey in which 103 respondents gave their opinion as to what they see as "enabling factors" with regard to the development of ICT in the classroom. One of the highest responses was the provision of, and access to, interactive whiteboards. Find more details in Peter Scrimshaw's report called Enabling Teachers to Make Successful Use of ICT.

In May 2004 OFSTED published a report called ICT in schools - the impact of government initiatives. In amongst the positive remarks in the main findings was the comment that, "Where interactive whiteboards are used, they often enhance the quality of teaching and learning".

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) carries out an annual survey about ICT in UK State Schools. The 2004 report, for example, revealed some interesting statistics about the adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in primary schools. 26% (up from 21% in 2003) of primary classes have interactive whiteboards. 73% (up from 37% in 2002) of primary schools at least one whiteboard (the average is actually 2.4). By April 2005 this is expected to rise to 78% (when the average number per school will be 4.1). As for the impact of interactive whiteboards on learning and raising standards, BESA states that this type of whole-class teaching tool recorded a high ranking, in fact the highest ranking in well over a third of the primary schools in a representative sample of 579. For the latest facts and figures get the most up-to-date report from the BESA website.

David  Miller and Derek Glover of Keele University carried out some research into The Interactive Whiteboard as a Force for Pedagogic Change in 2002. By focussing on five primary schools they concluded that the potential benefits of interactive whiteboards was dependent on three conditions being met:

• there was a will to develop and use the technology;

• the teachers had to be willing to become mutually interdependent in the development of materials;

• there had to be some change of thinking about the way in which classroom activities were resourced.

They list some advantages of interactive whiteboards for teaching and talk about their effects on pupil motivation. They also mention the problems teachers encountered when using interactive whiteboards.

Becta do an excellent literature review in their publication What the research says about interactive whiteboards. By looking at the various sources they compiled this list of 'key benefits' when using interactive whiteboards:

They also suggest that teachers can maximise the impact of interactive whiteboards by:

Georgina Stein and her team in the client unit at Canterbury Christ Church University College have produced a number of studies that focus on "Pedagogy, Practice & ICT". A research paper called What skills, training and professional development are needed to support the effective use of interactive whiteboards in the primary classroom? is available for download and makes very interesting reading. Another paper, How has the increase in availability of digital resources affected standards in teaching and learning? has plenty to say about the effect of interactive whiteboard use on teaching and learning in primary schools.