BSU EDTECH Student Blog

Reflecting on my Wii Remote Interactive Whiteboard Evaluation

Designing and conducting the Wii Remote Interactive Whiteboard system evaluation was a great learning experience.  The project tied together learning activities from this course and others.  My thoughts on research and evaluation methodologies have taken many twists and turns to arrive at my current understanding. I learned about the history of research in the field of education in previous courses of my ed tech program.  In this course I learned about the differences between research and evaluation and different methodologies within each.  Although my current position does not involve research and evaluation, I believe my knowledge about evaluation will positively impact my career.  My learning of theory and the opportunity to apply my knowledge in project work has enabled me to produce good reports that follow professional standards.

For example, a journal article I read in a previous course that had influenced my understanding of research arrived in an email yesterday as part of an Educational Technology Bulletin subscription.  Until I opened the document, I didn’t realize it was the article I read previously because it was described as a free white paper on the role of quality assurance in education technology.  Rereading the article, “Education Technology Research That Makes a Difference: Series Introduction,” by M.D. Roblyer, has given me insight to reflect on my project.

I’m proud to say that, in my mind, my evaluation study met the five criteria or “pillars” of good research described in the article. These are signficance, rationale, design, reporting and cumulativity.  Firstly, there was a significant reason to do my evaluation . Why is the inexpensive Wii Remote Interactive Whiteboard System not being used in more classrooms?  Does it not function as shown in popular You Tube videos?  Secondly, the rationale of a guiding question was based on my research of  the use and value of interactive whiteboards in education.  Yes, they have become very popular, but what evidence existed to show they positively impacted student learning?  Research pointed to the theory of improved student learning due to engagement and interaction when the system was used effectively by teachers.  Therefore, a guiding question in my evaluation was, “Does the WRIWB effectively promote student engagement and interaction with learning materials?”  Thirdly, the design was based on the transactional model of evaluation.  The methodology fit the problem being studied and the type of information that needed to be reported. Fourthly, my reporting fit the structural format suggested, so that others can build on the evaluation.  In my report I described the background, purpose, setting, subjects, design, data collection, findings and conclusion.  I must admit, however, that my format was due to the professor’s (Dr. Ross Perkins) instructions.  Lastly, there is the cumulativity criterion. Although I don’t specifically suggest directions for further research, I do suggest grant proposals and service learning programs for others to continue exploring the benefits of the Wii remote interactive whiteboards, particularly for cash-strapped schools.

One of the things that I’m most proud of, however, is that I focused on the value of the technology for the purpose of improving teaching and learning, and not on the technology itself.  While I did go into great detail about the technology, I did so for the purpose of demystifying the system, and not to glorify the technology.  My guiding questions focused on how teachers and students could use the system for teaching and learning.  Was it easy to install and use?  Did it facilitate interaction with learning material and meaningful social interactions.  Did certain groups of students benefit more than others?

I am inspired by the results of the evaluation and I have contacted professors to discuss the idea of grant and service learning programs.  My main idea is to make some Wii remote interactive whiteboards available to teachers interested in exploring how to use the technology to integrate more student centered interaction into their teaching strategies. I believe funding for Wii remotes and pedagogical support for teachers would increase adoption of the inexpensive system which motivates students to engage with learning materials.

References:

Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Educational technology research that makes a difference: Series introduction. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 5(2), 192-201.