Further evidence has been released which UK distributor Promethean says confirms the academic benefits of interactive classroom technologies. According to the company, phase two findings of the US study conducted by leading educational researcher, Dr. Robert Marzano, reported an average increase of 16 percentile points in student achievement when teachers used Promethean’s ActivClassroom technologies. This is said to mean that a class employing the technology would gain 12 months’ achievement in a 9-month school year.
Complete copies of Dr. Marzano’s report can be found online at: www.PrometheanWorld.com/Research
Promethean is urging its UK channel partners to provide these research findings to customers as evidence of the high return on investment that can be achieved when implementing its ActivClassroom suite.
“This is great news for our channel partners,” said Ian Curtis, head of UK and Ireland at Promethean (pictured). “With the demise of BECTA, there will be a greater need from teachers and schools for sound, independent advice like this to support their ICT purchasing decisions.”
“What this study proves is that when teachers receive robust training and support and are provided with a suite of interactive classroom equipment where each component part complements the others, then real, tangible improvements in attainment can be achieved,” he continued. “It’s vital that channel partners understand this correlation and use findings such as these to demonstrate return on investment to their customers.”
More than 5,000 students and 170 teachers contributed to the study in the United States, which examined the performance of two student groups over the two academic years of 2008/09 and 2009/10. Both groups were taught the same curriculum content, one via a suite of interactive technologies and resources, and one without. Results over these two years were consistent: student achievement was significantly higher (16 percentile points) when lessons were delivered using ActivClassroom technologies.
The study is said to have highlighted two key factors in boosting students’ academic performance. Firstly, teachers who were confident using the technology and who used it regularly in the classroom saw greater student gains. To support technology use in the classroom, Promethean provided all teachers participating in the study with a comprehensive training programme, delivered both face-to-face and online via PrometheanPlanet.com.
Secondly, the study examined the benefits of a holistic interactive solution that supported every aspect of teaching and learning, rather than just individual, component parts. As such, the technology-rich classrooms used for the study were all equipped with a complete ActivClassroom suite, including interactive whiteboard (ActivBoard), ActivInspire software, Learner Response System (ActiVote and/or ActivExpression), and digital tablets (ActivSlate).
