INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, teachers all over the world have already discovered the power of technology which is Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) can have in a classroom and use to achieve learning objective and learning outcomes. It is helping their students to learn more in a shorter space of time because their students can understand faster and much better rather than by using chalk and talk in the classroom. The technology, in my own experience, helps disengaged students reengage with their learning and they are responsible to their own learning. It helps build confidence in the shy and is inspiring teachers to learn more and become even more effective in what they do. An Interactive Whiteboard is one of the many technologies which are revolutionizing our classrooms. Both Secondary and Primary schools are seeing the benefits in their classrooms all over the world. By using an interactive whiteboard it could be make the understanding of student will be better. Not only that it also can motivate the student to learn effectively and achieve in the flying color in their examination. Among many ICT systems, the innovation and introduction of IWB has not only changed the traditional classroom but symbolizes a key revolution in the history of whiteboard development. Researchers have identified a number of advantages of using IWB in teaching and learning which is flexibility and versatility, multimedia/multimodal presentation, improving teaching efficiency, supporting planning and the development of resources, improving students skills of using ICT technology, interactivity and participation during course, improving students learning motivation, and improving student understanding. Many countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Russia, have invested heavily in the IWB and attempted to implement it in schools of all levels because they are all know the power of IWB to enhance their student to a higher level in their achievement. So that they can be a student that more competence and compete other countries.

Figure 1 What is interactive whiteboard (IWB)? An interactive whiteboard (IWB) is a large interactive display that connects to a computer. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or floor stand. They are used in a variety of settings, including classrooms at all levels of education, in corporate board rooms and work groups, in training rooms for professional sports coaching, in broadcasting studios and others. As we all know when we using this IWB in the classroom it will be more practical and the students also more excited to learn because they are all wanted to learn by using this technology. Teacher can make teaching and learning process going smoothly without any obstacles. The IWB used in this study is the Smart Board made by a Canadian company, SMARTTM Technologies, using analog resistive technology. The whiteboard is connected to a notebook or a computer through the USB cable, and then the notebook or computer is connected to the projector as shown as the figure above. Signals of the projector are projected onto the IWB. By adjusting the IWB, teachers can operate the computer by touching the IWB. The IWB can immediately save the written texts, drawings and other messages on the IWB panel to the connected computer.

Figure 2 There are uses for interactive whiteboards may include:

1.

Running software that is loaded onto the connected PC, such as a web browsers or other software used in the classroom. We can running any software regarding the topic that we want to teach and then it will appear in the white board so that all student can see what teacher are doing.

2.

Capturing and saving notes written on a whiteboard to the connected PC. It also can save are notes that has written on the whiteboard. All students can have the notes that are needed to study later on. Student does not have to worry anymore about the notes.

3. 4.

Capturing notes written on a graphics tablet connected to the whiteboard Controlling the PC from the white board using click and drag, markup which annotates a program or presentation

5. 6.

Using OCR software to translate cursive writing on a graphics tablet into text Using an Audience Response System so that presenters can poll a classroom audience or conduct quizzes, capturing feedback onto the whiteboard

Figure 3

Interactive whiteboards for higher education An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector. The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can handwrite notes, which can be transformed into text and saved. They are a powerful tool in the classroom adding interactivity and collaboration, allowing the integration of media content into the lecture and supporting collaborative learning. Used innovatively they create a wide range of learning opportunities. However, in many environments they are not being used to their full potential, and in many cases acting as glorified blackboards. This type of whiteboard is now commonplace in schools in the UK, but universities have been slower to adopt this technology. They were originally developed for use in business to demonstrate concepts and record meetings. However, they are an extremely flexible tool which can be used with both the youngest primary school children and university graduates. An interactive whiteboard can be a cost saver as this technology demonstrates how one computer can provide learning stimuli for a whole classroom. This is more cost effective than equipping an entire IT room, or every student with a laptop.

Examples of the features available when using an interactive whiteboard

Add annotations to make sure all students can understand if need clarification. Highlight text those key word that very important in the topic. Add notes and drawings and then save them to be printed out and shared, or added to a virtual learning environment. So that all students can have one copy as a notes and they can refresh back by using the notes that has been given to them. Show pictures and educational videos to the whole lecture theatre. You can label parts or highlight elements of an image. It must be easier than we just point on the whiteboard. Demonstrate the content available on a website in a teacher directly to show on the whiteboard so that all students can see the content and try to understand the content together.

Interactive whiteboards as a pedagogical tool This type of tool promotes creative teaching and motivates students into absorbing information. Teaching with an interactive whiteboard allows lecturers to accommodate all different learning styles rather than just using chalk and talk in the class that much boring for student to learn. Tactile learners get to touch and move things around the board. They can also make notes and highlight elements. Visual learners benefit from a clear view of what is happening on the board. It must be clear because all the content in the visual so students do not have to imagine which out of their mind. The content can appear in the visual way more clearly and easy to understand rather than notes full of sentences. Audio learners can participate in a class discussion. This one also a good ways to make the student understand better which students can learn when they are hearing the sound. Sometimes they are more alert when the sound can attract them to hear what teacher want to teach in front of the class.

Interactive teaching

The teacher can call upon the students to interact with the whiteboard themselves. The lecturer can sit at the computer, with the student at the whiteboard, and the class offering suggestions and contributing ideas. This interaction not only teachers with their students but also with the whiteboard so it can make more interactive learning and teaching process.

Group interaction

Interactive whiteboards promote group discussion and participation. They are an effective tool for brainstorming as notes made on the screen can be turned into text, and saved to be shared and distributed later. They are an ideal tool for small group work and collaborative learning, as students can huddle around the board developing ideas, and then save the work for sharing over a network or by email.

Classroom uses In some classrooms, interactive whiteboards have replaced traditional whiteboards or flipcharts, or video/media systems such as a DVD player and TV combination. Even where traditional boards are used, the IWB often supplements them by connecting to a school network digital video distribution system. In other cases, IWBs interact with online shared annotation and drawing environments such as interactive vector based graphical websites. Brief instructional blocks can be recorded for review by students and they will see the exact presentation that occurred in the classroom with the teacher's audio input. This can help transform learning and instruction. An interactive whiteboard can now be found in every classroom of the school.

Pro and cons when using the IWB in the classroom

Every things in this world has their own advantages and disadvantages same goes to Interactive Whiteboard which have pro and cons. But it depend on us how to classify them either is a good or bad things. The most important is how we are take care the whiteboard so that it always in good condition and we can use comfortable. Some advantages if we are using IWB in the classroom is more enjoyable because we can touch itself and the students also can understand better because the class not boring like we teach chalk and talk. The disadvantages when using this IWB is the price of whiteboard very expensive and maybe all school not afford to buy and the maintenance also very high. All students must work together to take care the whiteboard wisely to make sure it always in good conditions.

PRO Students like the interaction

CONS Motivation can wear off students once used to the IWB

Teachers like being able to clearly demonstrate IWB tend to be PC friendly not MAC friendly or explain something It teach student responsibility to take care the Problems with too many wires in the classroom whiteboard Students learn about how using the technology Takes a lot of time to pack away when it needed to use Teachers can use interactive whiteboards in most lessons. Easy to use Accommodates all learning styles Expensive Tendency towards teacher control Clutters classroom

Benefits when using IWB in the classroom

Teacher can now operate the computer and projector while standing in front of the class. PowerPoint will not be boring, as teacher and student can now scribble on top of it. Student's can interact with the technology for themselves, to write on the screen for the whole class. Stop-clock can now be included into the teaching, when teacher is giving the activity. Teacher can show the students some of the resources / picture that they may use in the internet.

Benefits
Student

Drawbacks many learning No research on the motivational effects over time (may decrease as it becomes common place)

Accommodates

styles (can see, touch, and hear)

Adapts to any age group Benefits special needs students Its interactive

No research on long-term learning

Easy to use Teacher

Set up can be problematic Does not work well with the Mac Takes time to set up and space (mobile version) Technical problems, such as needed calibrations Shadow interference Location of the board can cause a teacher to feel trapped to the front of the room

Keeps class focused

Makes lessons clear and dynamic Helps absent students catch up Lessons are motivating Helps organize lessons Decreases behavioral issues Easy to share lessons Works well with peripherals Resources are abundant on the internet

The use in Malaysia:

In the context of Malaysia, it can be a success. Students no matter where they are fascinated by the use of ICT. They would feel closeness to it, and by using interactive whiteboard, students may be excited to use it. Student motivation may be higher and more students may want to participate in the lesson, especially in English Language Teaching. One of the main problems in Malaysian classroom is students does not want to communicate with the teacher in English. This technology may highly encourage the students to do so.

There is evidence, however, to show the downside of the use of interactive whiteboard in Malaysia. Malaysia is a developing country; hence it can be compare with other developing country that may have the technology of interactive whiteboard, such as South Africa. According to Slay, Sieborger and Hodgekinson-Williams (2007), this project of having

interactive whiteboard in South Africa raises concern from the parents, as the lack of ICT knowledge by the teacher can resulted in waste of money. Without training, one of the teachers that were observed spent more time interacting with the student. There is one teacher, who had had attended seminar regarding the usage of interactive whiteboard, treated is like a normal whiteboard use the pen to write on top of the screen. In the research, there are also learner response to the usage and believes these teacher should get more training before using it for the children.

Hence, for a piece of technology which is very expensive and teacher tend to treat it as a normal whiteboard, it is not worth it. The Malaysian government may find it unrealistic to invest such large amount of money into this device. In addition, without any formal workshop given to the teacher, problems in the classroom may arise.

Some suggestion: If Malaysia wants to adopt this technology, they should provide proper training facilities and technical support for the schools. It would also be a suggestion for Malaysia to adopt this technology only in big city areas.

CONCLUSION

As conclusion by using Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) is very good ways to teach in the classroom because it can attract all students to learn. It also can add their knowledge about how to using the technology so that they can compete to others country. It can build a good interaction between teachers and all students. All students will participate in the learning process and be a active students.