Connecting classrooms in rural communities through interactive whiteboards

Abstract

This paper reports on the uses of interactive whiteboards in 'connected classrooms' in rural New South Wales, Australia. The research specifically focuses on the e² program, a senior school initiative among five schools that seeks to extend the range of curriculum options available for students by connecting classrooms using video conference and interactive whiteboard technology. Teachers working in these environments have created specific sets of pedagogical practices. Through a series of focus group interviews and observations of classrooms, the research has sought to document core features of the teaching practice in the connected classroom environment. The research details the ways in which the interactive whiteboard provides a key visual focus for all lessons in the connected classroom; how the interactive whiteboard is used alongside a video conference screen; and reasons why teachers are committed to working with these technologies.