Elevating Learning with Interactive Displays and the TIM Framework

 

Image Description: Two students using an interactive whiteboard

In classrooms and school libraries across the country, the interactive whiteboard (IWB), often known by brand names like SMART Board or Promethean ActivPanel, has become a familiar fixture. Too often, however, this powerful piece of hardware is used as little more than a fancy projector screen or a digital chalkboard. To move beyond using it as a high-tech chalkboard, educators need a robust framework that focuses on student learning and the classroom environment. The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM), developed by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, will provide this lens for this blogpost.

An interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-sensitive display that connects to a computer, effectively turning the screen into a hands-on tool. Whether it's an integrated flat-panel display (like a Promethean ActivPanel) or a projector-based system (like a SMART Board), an IWB allows teachers and students to control applications, write in digital ink, and manipulate content directly on the screen. This transforms the front of the classroom from a passive viewing area into a hub of dynamic, collaborative learning.

Unlike models that focus solely on the technology itself, the TIM framework evaluates technology integration based on two dimensions: five levels of integration and five characteristics of the learning environment; these are active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2019). This creates a detailed matrix that helps educators see how technology use can evolve from teacher-centered to student-centered, creating richer learning experiences.

Image Description: The Technology Integration Matrix infographic

Interactive Whiteboards and their use through the TIM framework:

• At the entry level, the teacher is the sole user of the IWB, and its use is for delivering information to passive students. For example, a history teacher displays a slideshow presentation on the IWB, tapping the screen to advance the slides. The learning is largely passive. The teacher is active, but the students are not.

• At the adoption level, the teacher directs students in the conventional use of the technology. Students follow prescribed steps and are beginning to engage with the tool. For example, students take turns coming to the board to drag and drop labels onto the correct parts of a plant cell. The learning is becoming more active as students use the technology directly. It can be goal-directed as they work to complete the specific labeling task.

• At the adaptation level, students are given more autonomy. They explore the IWB's tools and use them to create products, making choices about how the technology will be used. As an example, students can work in small groups to create a presentation about a planet. They can use the IWB's built-in web browser to find images and information, and then use the annotation tools and digital ink to create an informative poster they present to the class. This level emphasizes constructive learning, as students are building knowledge and creating a product. It is also highly collaborative as they work together at the board.

• At the infusion level, the IWB is no longer a novelty but a seamlessly integrated tool that is readily available to students across subject areas. Students choose to use it when it is the most appropriate tool for achieving their learning goals. A student working on a persuasive essay for ELA might choose to go to the IWB to use a collaborative mind-mapping tool with a peer to organize their arguments. The learning is goal-directed, as students are making independent choices about which tools to use.

• At the transformation level, the IWB is used to create learning experiences that would be impossible without the technology. It often connects students to the outside world and involves solving real-world problems. A classroom might use the IWB's video conferencing and collaborative canvas to work with a local expert on a subject. The expert shares knowledge, which the students then analyze and map out on the board. This use is highly authentic, connecting students with a real-world expert and task. It is constructive and collaborative, and it pushes the boundaries of the traditional classroom.

Here are two resources to help teachers and school librarians find lesson plans and creative ideas for their Interactive Whiteboards:

1. Lumio by SMART: This is a massive digital library of free, teacher-created lesson plans, activities, and games specifically designed for interactive displays. Link: https://www.smarttech.com/en/lumio/discover-lessons-and-activities

2. Edutopia - Interactive Whiteboard Topic Page: Edutopia's topic page on IWBs gathers articles, videos, and blogs that provide creative ideas for using the tech to boost engagement and collaboration. Link: https://www.edutopia.org/topic/interactive-whiteboards

References

Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2019). The Technology Integration Matrix. Retrieved from https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix/.

Winkelman, R. (n.d.). Levels of Technology Integration [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/the-invisible-technology-integration-matrix/.