Using a Digital Whiteboard for

Collaborative Learning

Ray Kemp, Elizabeth Kemp, Thevalojinie Mohanarajah

Institute of Information Sciences and Technology

Massey UniversityNew Zealand

Digital Whiteboards - the marketer’s view

Digital Whiteboards - a different view

Digital Whiteboard as an

aid to learning• Facilitates Group learning in f-2-f setting

Media Richness Theory - Daft, Lengel and Trevino

(1987)

Face to Face

Telephone

Computer Mediated Communication

More rich

Less rich

Verbal and nonverbal communication in computer

mediated settings - Rosenberg and Sillince

(2000)Nonverbal communication uses: mimickry, emphasis, embarrassment, recognition, commitment, promise,agreement, understanding, orientation, humour

Within group features: esprit de corps, social interaction,understanding of roles, motivation, performance

Between group feature: formal communication

Digital Whiteboard as an

aid to learning

• Provides an ‘out of computer’

experience• Provides a physically shared

learning space

• Facilitates Group learning in f-

2-f setting

Tools supporting participatory planning -

Hornecker, Eden, Shariff (2002)

SmartBoard versus PitA-Board

“We found that in the PitA-Board variant, the reduced sizeof the game board . . . did not invite enough interaction”

“. . . the SmartBoard was inside people’s personal space”

Digital Whiteboard as an

aid to learning

• Provides an ‘out of computer’

experience• Provides a physically shared

learning space• Provides support for interaction

and learning

• Facilitates Group learning in f-

2-f setting

Digital versus ordinary whiteboard

Digital whiteboard Easy to work with Different coloured pens confusingInformation easily stored and retrieved

Ordinary whiteboard Easy to useSpace limited

OverallSentence Openers reasonably useful

Pull-up-list for verbal contributions Pull-up-list for

written contributions

Group member names

Pen/Eraser

Find pageSelect Highlight

Digital Whiteboard

Set-up

Selecting a contribution type

Contributing Facts

Selecting another contribution type

Contributing ideas

Adding ideas (a continuation)

Contributing a solution item

Selecting a verbal comment

Part of Interaction History Document

Changes made

Contribution types

Colour coding

Track contribution of individuals

Identify themselves

Log activities

Intervene

Digital whiteboard in group learning - questions to be

answeredWhat advantages for learning does a SmartBoard provide over a whiteboard?

How can the current features of the SmartBoardbe exploited for group learning?

What protocols should be in place for group members?

What features could be added to enhance the learning experience?