Since their introduction, interactive whiteboards have created different reactions from teachers, students and their parents. Most of them welcome this new technology even without knowing its true impact on educational standards.

With the increased use of interactive whiteboards in schools, it is good to examine the impact of these technological features on learning practices. There is a great debate about whether or not they increase student performance on standardized tests. From all the studies carried out since 2003 in the UK and elsewhere on whether blackboards are commonly used, it emerged that there were significant gains as students benefited from their teachers’ experience with blackboards.

To understand the full extent of PDI, different variables were considered, including age of students, duration of exposure to blackboards, gender, special needs, and other socioeconomic groupings. Several conclusions have been drawn from the studies. First, when students are exposed to interactive whiteboards for an extended period, it becomes a mediation tool between teacher-student interactions and between students themselves. This type of mediation increases productivity which is shown by greater progress in national test scores.

Studies also showed that this innovative technology leads to consistent gains in all subjects, as well as in all stages of the learning process. Studies conducted on individual subjects have shown different income between different genders. For example, in math, high-achieving girls who were exposed to these boards were able to increase their performance to match the boys. In science, performance improved for all girls and for boys at average to high levels.

In English, all students, regardless of gender, showed improved performance. In all studies there were no adverse effects from the use of PDI. This shows that technology is capable of bringing the learning environment to life, making it more pleasant for the student. The lessons not only become more enjoyable but also very beneficial. Although there is a clear indication that interactive whiteboards have a positive impact on learning, this new technology has faced some criticism. For example, people have claimed that although students welcomed the new technology completely, there was no impact on performance in the early years.

This was attributed to a number of factors, such as teachers focusing more on new technology than students’ learning needs. There is also a high probability of overvaluing mundane activities due to the increased interactivity. Interactivity, which is merely a technical process, is most particularly experienced in the lower-ability classes. Another source of criticism is that only seven percent of teachers received professional training on how to use the new technology. This will surely slow down the process of integrating new devices in schools.

There are also some institutions that do not buy all the necessary accessories for the whiteboard. Although these accessories seem to be minor but they are very necessary. These schools realize their mistake a month or two after the purchase of the main unit. Some of the commonly overlooked accessories include Bluetooth wireless connection for easy data transfer, USB powered speakers, and wall mounting to hold the unit in the most visible area of ​​the room. Not including these accessories results in poor performance and thus becomes a source of criticism.