ESRC Project: Interactive Whiteboards and Collaborative Pupil Learning in Primary Science
The project is investigating the use of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) as tools for primary children's group learning in science. A series of science activities have been agreed with the participating teachers, enabling children to consider options, plan activities and make joint decisions. The activities exploit features of IWBs known, from our previous research, to offer distinctive support to pupils' learning. Twelve teachers are involved, based in primary schools in Cambridgeshire. Data consists of (a) video recordings of children's joint activity at the IWB; (b) interviews with children about their perceptions and use of IWB facilities in the context of collaborative work; (c) teacher assessments of the success of the activities in terms of children's motivation and learning outcomes. Analysis is focusing on patterns of children's interaction during the activities. Of particular interest is whether children's interaction at the IWB enables the expression and sharing of differing ideas on scientific topics and how the IWB is used to address such differences. In highlighting ways in which specific features of IWBs can be fully exploited and developed for children's science learning, the research outcomes are expected be important to IWB designers and software producers, as well as to teachers and research audiences.
Start date: 01/01/2008 End date: 31/05/2009