Evaluating the Impact of Interactive Whiteboard on Student Achievement in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to evaluate the impact of interactive whiteboard on student achievement in Saudi Arabia, specifically in Onaizah city. It investigates the effectiveness of whiteboard teaching on student-teacher interaction and level of discussion. The study also explores the challenges and benefits of using interactive whiteboard in high schools.

Evaluating the impact of
interactive whiteboard on
student achievement in Saudi
Arabia

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE .............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Aim..............................................................................................................................................1
Objective .....................................................................................................................................1
Research question .......................................................................................................................1
Study background .......................................................................................................................1
Rationale .....................................................................................................................................1
Dissertation structure ..................................................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................................................2
Interactive whiteboard (IWB) teaching ......................................................................................2
Impact of IWB on teaching and learning process .......................................................................3
Challenges imposed by whiteboard teaching ..............................................................................4
Impact of whiteboard teaching on performance and achievements of students .........................5
RESEARCH METHOD ..................................................................................................................5
Research design ..........................................................................................................................5
Research approach ......................................................................................................................6
Philosophy....................................................................................................................................6
Sampling......................................................................................................................................6
Data collection ............................................................................................................................6
Data analysis ...............................................................................................................................7
Ethics ...........................................................................................................................................7
RESEARCH SCHEDULE ..............................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10

TITLE
Evaluating the impact of interactive whiteboard on student achievement in Saudi
Arabia.
INTRODUCTION
Aim
To evaluate the impact of interactive whiteboard on achievement of high school students:
A case study on Onaizah city of Saudi Arabia.
Objective
 To investigate the impact of whiteboard teaching on student-teacher interaction and
student's level of discussion.
Research question
 Does the learner achievement differ according to teaching strategy
Study background
Interactive whiteboards (IWB) are instructional device on which compute images can be
clearly and accurately displayed by using projectors. These boards are widely used in schools
and educational institutions to provide a more interactive experience between learner and
teachers. For improving the presentation of educational content teachers are using IWB so that
they can use pictures, graphs which can be easily moved for developing better understanding of
the subject. Thus, this teaching approach has brought significant differences in learning as well
as teaching methodologies (Tunaboylu and Demir, 2017). It improves the educational attainment
of the student and helps to gain more achievements through better discussion and interaction
with education providers.
Rationale
Education attainment level plays an important role in the career growth of the students.
IWB is one of the attempt to enhance the learning experience of students in high school so that
they can explore better growth opportunities. Thus, it is important to understand the impact of
IWB on the education and student's learning. Another reason for conducting this study is to
evaluate the several aspects related to IWB so that their use can be increased in the educational
institutions and more and more students can get benefits from such interactive teaching
methodologies.
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Dissertation structure
The proposed dissertation will be segmented into several chapters. The structure and
details of the chapters is as follows:
Chapter 1. Introduction
This chapter will give the background and the rationale for the study. It will also consist
of research objectives and aim so that study can be conducted with specific goal or direction.
Chapter 2. Literature review
Second chapter will provide the resource evaluation from literature point of view so that
related findings can be analysed.
Chapter 3. Methodology
Chapter third will describe the research methods for executing the research so that
research data can be analysed in a systematic approach.
Chapter 4. Data analysis
In this chapter of dissertation the research data will be analysed and interpreted so that
research objectives can be achieved and conclusions can be made.
Chapter 5. Conclusion
In dissertation last chapter will be of conclusion in which all study findings will be
summarised and conclusions will be made.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Interactive whiteboard (IWB) teaching
IWB is touch sensitive and large display device. The user can use it as mouse, computer
screen as well as interactive board. The board or computer icons can be easily operated by using
fingers, stylus, pen or pointers. According to Gashan and Alshumaimeri, (2015), teachers are
using IWB method for delivering knowledge to students. Earlier the technique was limited to
only business presentations, however with the global impact and improvements in education
level has also encouraged use of IWB in education. The teachers can manage all their lectures
and work on these devices and can easily revisit or revise them without repeating the actions
again and again. This teaching style have impact on teaching, learning and motivation level of
students. Thus, it can be considered as very effective tool for improving the educational
attainment of the students.
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Alghamdi, (2015) stated that IWB is used by the educators to display the study content in
very attractive way full of text, pictures and graphs from the internet. These whiteboards are also
provided with the recording features so that teachers can record their lessons and can even share
their copies with the students for future reference. The quality of education can be improved
when teaching is accompanied by quality resources. As compare to the conventional teaching
methods schools are giving preference to whiteboard teaching because it allows educators to use
several flash files and resources from the top institutions available on internet. With this teaching
approach these resources can be easily shared by the teachers. The convention teaching methods
either does not allow the facility to integrate study text with videos and high dimensional
pictures or needs crowding of students around a small computer or screen. Thus, in comparison
to the conventional methods IWB teaching is highly efficient in terms of delivering knowledge.
As per the view of Zaidi and et.al., (2016), accommodation of multiple learning styles is
also one of the attractive element for supporting its popularity. It allows integration of visual as
well as audio information along with the internet access service. Storing educational concepts
and lessons for the future reference is routine and integral part of the education process. With
conventional approaches it is not possible for the students to access the notes of teachers when
their classes are missed. However, the use of IWB allow students to access the lessons at any
instant without time or space restrictions.
Impact of IWB on teaching and learning process
The high schools in Saudi Arabia which are uses IWB in education have attained a new
quality level in the education process. According toAlfaki, (2014) the conventional teaching
methods requires the major involvement of teachers only and there was minimum integration
among student groups. However, with the use of whiteboards not only teachers but students also
interact with each other. The whiteboard has been also identified as brainstorming tool for the
students. The notes which are presented on the screen are easily shared among students. Thus,
for the subjects which needs collaboration among students interactive learning is the first choice
of educators.
High schools of Saudi Arabia also offers complex subjects in which for better
understanding collaborative learning is required along with the detailed diagrams or the analysis
of various resources. Alabdulaziz and Higgins, (2017) stated that the interactive whiteboard can
be easily connected with the internet and thus tools such as video conference and information
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sharing allow the access to information from different sources. The approach affects both
teaching methods and learning strategies adopted by the students.
Schools in Onaizah city are able to use authentic material from all over the world into
classroom instead of limiting to only one or two sources. It has also enabled teachers to improve
their pedagogy and thus to promote professional development. Almalki, Finger and Zagami,
(2013) stated that contrary to IWB teaching, in conventional whole class teaching teachers are
focused on only at way to organise the content and thus it is usually not possible for them to
walk around the class. However, with interactive board teachers can easily move around the class
and can closely observe the learning difficulties of each and every learner. It helps to improve
the learning experience. The re-usability of the work and multimedia content also improves the
learning behaviour of students.
Zaidi and et.al., (2016) elucidated that colourful tools and interactive environment within
classrooms also acts as motivation for the students to learn the new concepts. It is very easy to
manipulate the text and images on IWB and thus Saudi Arabian schools are taking at as an
effective way to encourage the discussion among class members and to make study interactive
and creative by the use of multimedia information.
Challenges imposed by whiteboard teaching
The high schools in Onaizah city are supporting the interactive whiteboards in the
education system. However, Al-Asmari and Rabb Khan, (2014) stated that implementing such
advanced systems is not an easy and convenient task for all the schools. The technical challenges
have been one of the key barriers in the adoption of this popular and beneficial technology.
Many schools of Saudi Arabia are facing technical issues such as poor quality of speakers,
outdated computer systems, system defects, visibility issues due to sunlight or other building
infrastructure issues, improper orientation of projectors and delayed interaction between IWB
and user movement. It can lead to poor quality of delivered lecture and instead of providing
benefits, it can have negative effect on the learning behaviour.
In the same context Hamdan, (2015) argued that technical problems are most likely to
occur in the rural areas of Saudi Arabia however the bigger challenge is the knowledge gap.
Many teachers and students as well are not accustomed to this type of learning methods and thus
despite several benefits they may find hard to use it. In such schools interactive whiteboard may
not achieve its educational goals. Many schools of Saudi Arabia do not have sufficient resources
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or funds to implement such systems in all classes. Thus, it can be challenging for many schools
to incorporate this beneficial tool. The knowledge gap in technical understanding as well as
financial considerations can be analysed as the potential challenges for IWB teaching method in
Saudi Arabia.
Impact of whiteboard teaching on performance and achievements of students
In the view of Aytekin and et.al., (2012) learning behaviour of the students have great
impact upon the achievements and growth of students. With the conventional teaching
approaches it is quite common that only teachers express views and there is minimum interaction
of the students. IWB supports different learning styles and thus when knowledge is delivered as
per the learning style choice of students then they acquire the knowledge very quickly and
effectively. For instance the audio learners can get the benefit from the recording feature of IWB
while the students who have visual learning strategy can trace the changes going on in learning
process. Similarly, the tactile learners can manipulate the board for enhancing their learnings.
According to Alfaki, (2014) the more interactive classroom discussion helps students to
develop and improve their communication and analytical skills. It helps them in the future career
choices as well when learners may require interacting with vast range of learners. Instead of
verbal instruction integration of the videos and pictures provides better learning experience. The
IWB allows the integration and utilisation of multiple study material and learning styles. This
attribute is beneficial for the students from future perspective as well. For instance the students in
the field of science and research can study even the minor details of their subject. This method
teaches learners that how they can link multiple study resources for gaining the knowledge.
Thus, from high school level also the students in Onaizah city are provided education of research
skills which is remarkable event in their academic progress
RESEARCH METHOD
Research design
Research design are mostly used to refer specific methods to be chosen of data analysis
and collection. The type of research or dissertation defines the type of research design to be used.
Research design is of two types i.e. exploratory and Conclusive (Rahi, 2017). Exploratory
research design is used when data collections method is flexible and analysis is qualitative.
Whereas Conclusive research design is used when data analysis is quantitative and data
collection method is rigid. For this dissertation Exploratory research design will be used. This
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research design is mostly used when a study problem is to be studied which is not defined
properly.
Research approach
For applying suitable reasoning concepts to the research study research approaches are
used. These are of three types namely inductive, abuductive or deductive. Deductive approach is
based upon hypothesis and is preferred for casual researches while abductive approach emphasis
on problem solving methods on the basis of puzzles or facts. In the proposed study inductive
approach will be used in which exploration of the existing theories is emphasised by the
researcher. It will help to explore the new or hidden theories related to the research subject.
Philosophy
Research philosophy can be defined as a way in which data is to be gathered, analysed
and used. Research philosophy for a research design is of four types which are: pragmatism,
positivism, realism and interpretivism. Pragmatism research philosophy can be used in both
qualitative and quantitative research design (Creswell and Clark, 2017). Data collected in
positivism is highly structured and is mostly used in quantitative data analysis. Realism
philosophy is used according to the subject chosen, it doesn't matter on what type of research it is
i.e. it can be qualitative or quantitative. Interpretivism is mostly used for small sample size and
for qualitative research. For this dissertation interpretivism will be used.
Sampling
Sampling is used to select the members of the selected population within the study. It is
used because too large population cannot be worked together directly. So a small sample of a
Large population is selected in order to complete the research with accurate result. It is of two
types i.e. probability and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling is used when all the
members of the population are participating in the research. Contrary to this non-probability
sampling is used when all the members of the selected population do not participate in a study.
For this dissertation non-probability sampling will be used and interviews will be conducted with
10 students and 10 teachers of high school in Onaizah city, Saudi Arabia.
Data collection
Data collection methods describes the way to collect the relevant study data. Data can be
collected in two ways, primary or secondary. The primary data is the new set of measured or
analysed data which is obtained by the researcher for the first time (Kumar, 2019). On the other
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hand secondary data is collected from the work of other researchers and is then interpreted or
analysed. The key primary sources are interviews, questionnaire while the secondary sources
which can be used for the research are books, journals and research papers. In this study both
primary and secondary data sources will be used. For the primary data collection interview will
be conducted with the sample participants.
Data analysis
For obtaining the relevant conclusions collected data must be analysed in an organised
manner. The data analysis can be performed by using statistical tools or thematic analysis. In
thematic analysis various themes are developed on the basis of collected data and then findings
are obtained. Contrary to this in statistical tool based analysis different software tools are used
which uses statistical methods for determining the statistical relations between data set. It is
usually preferred for the quantitative data. This study is qualitative type and thus in this research
thematic analysis will be used.
Ethics
In the primary research ethics are also important and makes the research outcomes
acceptable and reliable. The study will use primary data collection methods thus it is essential
that all participants must give informed consent prior to the study. For this purpose study
objective and purpose must be clearly informed to all samples (Bardzell, Bardzell and Koefoed
Hansen, 2015). It the responsibility of the researcher to assure that privacy and confidentiality of
the participants is respected and they must be allow skipping any interview question or the study
at any instant of time. Another important ethical aspect which must be used followed during the
study is to ensure that respondents are not harmed during the entire research.
RESEARCH SCHEDULE
Steps Description Time period
Step 1:
Identify
improvemen
t area
In this section, the researcher will identify impact of white
board on all the students and teachers interactions.
1 week
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Step 2:
Strategies
formulation
In this section research will identify and analyse different
kind of strategies that can be implied in this research in
order to identify the impact of this research on student and
teacher interaction. With the help of this section research
will be able to move this research in forward direction and
complete it within time.
1 week
Step 3:
Improve
School
environment
The strategy that has been selected and implied will be
used in this section as well as will be monitored by the
researcher so that interaction between teachers and
students can be improved and if any changes are required
then it can be done accurately.
2 weeks
Step 4:
Monitoring
and results
of the
overall
strategy
This is the last section of the research where analysis and
monitoring of the implied strategy is done and if
modifications are required then it is done in a specific
order in order to get accurate results desired by the
research.
2 weeks
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above discussion that high schools of Onaizah city can
assure more quality education and achievements by encouraging the use of whiteboard in
schools. The whiteboard teaching encourages the different types of learning styles and resource
sharing so that more quality content can be provided to students. It has been analysed that the use
of pictures, audio and games can enhance the learning capabilities and efficiency of the students.
Thus, most of the schools in Saudi Arabia uses IWB in their education environment. It has been
also observed that during teaching when teachers give emphasis on particular words or phrases
during lectures then it creates strong impact on the student.
However instead of giving mere oral emphasis teachers can use different colours for
highlighting and movement to draw attention of the students towards a specific portion of the
study material. The IWB also feature hideaway option so that teachers can gain the concentration
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of students towards a particular concept. Thus, it can be concluded that IWB technology makes
learning process highly specific, focused and accurate. It allows both teachers and students to
explore and share wide range of resources.
It has been also evaluated from the above discussion that interactive whiteboard are cost
effective in terms of cost and time saving. A single learning stimuli in the form of IWB can meet
the needs of various types of students. It has been also observed that the education delivery
system of schools in Saudi Arabia has achieved great level of flexibility due to implementation
of whiteboard. This classroom boards enhances the group discussion activity and more
qualitative interaction between teachers and students. The approach can bring more effective
outcomes for the high school students which requires in depth understanding of the subjects. It
has been also determined that certain subjects such as science, mathematical concept and
geology can be easily taught to students with the help of IWB.
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