Interactive learning has progressed from an experimental strategy to a'must do' in order to keep students engaged in the classroom. Teachers are at the forefront of why, how, and when to use educational technology effectively and efficiently as technology has become more beneficial for instruction and student learning. Even when students are learning remotely, interactive displays enable them to have connected and collaborative experiences. With more features and applications available on displays, teachers are regularly incorporating their use and seeing an increase in student participation and active learning in their classrooms.

According to research, a teacher who effectively implements educational technology such as interactive flat panel display will see an increase in student engagement, which leads to improved learning. The following are some of the advantages of interactive displays:

  • Clear, bright images that are pleasing to the eye and can aid in student concentration
  • With the help of screen sharing software, students will have more opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
  • Students with disabilities now have better access to active learning (for example, finger touch on screen instead of stylus which can be difficult to use for some students)
  • Use of instructional time more efficiently with an out-of-the-box display versus time lost when dealing with other technology to facilitate a lesson

With federal funding and grants awarded for a variety of programmes and services such as hybrid learning, professional development, and STEM integration, the availability of interactive displays has improved. Training provided with the purchase of interactive displays teaches teachers the fundamentals of using the built-in software and features. Ideas for incorporating collaboration emerge naturally as teachers become more comfortable with the displays. Here are some simple ways to boost collaboration with an interactive display.

4 WAYS TO USE AN INTERACTIVE DISPLAY TO INCREASE COLLABORATION

Warm-Up - As students enter the classroom, write a question or activity prompt for them to complete. Choose students to share their responses; they can do so by physically writing on the display or annotating on their personal device using screen mirroring software. Because the majority of students own a personal device (smartphone or tablet), their device serves as a "hand-held interactive display." 

Create Interactive Lessons - A complete interactive display solution will include educational software or access to an online platform that enables teachers to create interactive lessons, activities, and assessments. Vary the types of questions so that students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning at various cognitive levels (ex. multiple choice for recall, classifying; labelling for categorizing, relating; short answer for summarizing, justifying).

Team Presentations - Screen mirroring software, in conjunction with an interactive display, allows class teams, including students learning remotely, to make presentations together. Responsibilities for a team project can be distributed evenly, and students using remote learning can participate actively in the team's collaborative efforts. If you make annotations on a slide or ask a question during the presentation, they can be saved and shared. This adds a level of interactivity that can boost student engagement and participation even further.

Amp Up STEM Lessons - Enhance STEM lessons by using a doc camera to examine minute details of specimens such as feathers, shells, rocks, and more. A large interactive display with ultra-HD resolution will show images with vibrant colours, enhancing whole-class and collaborative discussions. Many displays designed specifically for education will include learning apps covering a wide range of topics and subjects. Investigate and use STEM apps to scaffold information, direct instruction, review, and/or provide an assessment.

Of course, companies like Maxhub interactive collaboration display can be used for much more than just watching videos, conducting meetings/interviews with guest speakers, playing learning games, collaborating with colleagues, and so on. IT coordinators, subject matter experts, and educational consultants from outside the school or district can help students learn advanced skills to supplement what they are already doing. It's exciting to consider what else can be done with interactive display technology to help students truly enjoy their learning experiences!