How much value does a voting system add to my interactive whiteboard?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 | IWBs

One of the limitations of an interactive whiteboard is the fact that only one person can work on it at a time.

But this limitation is removed when you add a voting system – also called a response system – to your interactive whiteboard.  Here are a few ways in which a voting system adds value in an interactive classroom:

Each learner is allowed to interact simultaneously through the use of technology – no more passive observers in the classroom.

Assessment becomes an integral part of each session – a lesson can be paused to ask a question to determine if the learners are still with you.  This serves a dual purpose: learners consolidate learning, and you can use the information to direct your teaching in a more effective way.

Anonymous responses make it easier for shy learners to participate – this is particularly useful when asking opinion questions.

If you really want to know how your learners experience your teaching, ask a question such as: “Give me a mark out of 4 for today’s lesson.”  You may be surprised to learn how your learners feel about your lessons!

A big portion of an examination paper in some subjects may be in the form of multiple choice questions.  Learners who have difficulty with this assessment mode gain valuable experience when you use a voting system throughout the year.

Most voting systems provide you with detailed learner response information.  If voting units are assigned to particular learners, you will be able to see the response of each child.  This information can be stored and used to build up a year mark.

The real magic of all of this is that learner response results are available immediately – no more waiting for answer sheets to be collected and no more marking!

Click here for more information about interactive whiteboards.

Tags: Gadgets, IWBs, response system, voting system

3 Comments to How much value does a voting system add to my interactive whiteboard?

Mark C
Thursday, 28 January, 2010

A few years ago when we did a course through CISCO we were tested online and our results were displayed almost immediately via a data projector. It may have been embarrassing to show individual results, but one could see where you needed more time (to put it euphemistically). We could also view the group results to see what the whole class needed to concentrate on to move forward. This is important for a just-in-time (JIT) method of teaching where learner responses are incorporated into the lesson whether they are correct/incorrect.

Asking learner input on any issue in a survey format is invaluable. Once learners see their own input used in a lesson there is a sense of accomplishment that they are being taken seriously. Involvement of learners in their own learning is important.

Dereck Marnewick
Saturday, 30 January, 2010

Can voting systems be used without the IAWB?

kvanwyk
Saturday, 20 February, 2010

Yes, Dereck, voting systems can be used without interactive whiteboards. It is a completely separate product. In this article, however, the emphasis was on peripherals that can add value if you already have an interactive whiteboard.