Attitude of Students towards the Use of Interactive Whiteboard in Higher Education

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the attitude of university students towards the use of Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) in higher education along with differences in attitude resulting from some demographic variables. 129 University students, age ranged from 19-25 years who actively used IWBs in the classroom for instruction, were selected purposively in the sample. A self-developed tool based on a five-point Likert scale followed by three open-ended items was used to collect the data. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H test and percentage analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed that students have a positive attitude towards the use of IWB in higher education. The results further revealed the significant differences in the attitude of students towards IWB based on gender, types of discipline and basic knowledge of computers. However, the gender difference was found only in one dimension i.e., perceived teaching effectiveness. Furthermore, the students of education discipline showed higher scores on the attitude towards IWB than their counterparts. Students with high basic knowledge of computers were found to be higher in attitude towards IWB than the students of science and social science discipline. Students agreed that IWB is more effective than traditional boards in terms of accuracy, drawing the multidimensional figures and shape perfectly and its movement from different angles effectively, increasing interaction, making the teachinglearning process more enjoyable and providing facilities to use the stored learning material. Nevertheless, students have highlighted the major problems like- lack of trained ICT teachers, lack of technical support and internet access. Possible education and policy implications are outlined.