Contributions of the interactive whiteboard in Chilean high school students of English as a foreign language

Abstract

Based on our experiences as students in secondary and higher education, we have seen how new sources of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) have been introduced in the classrooms of our educational system, for example, overhead projectors, computers with software such as office automation and the use of hardware as data shows, VCRs (Video Cassette Recorders), etc., and recently, the interactive whiteboard (from now on, IWB). The Chilean government has placed special emphasis on the introduction of IWB in the classroom through Enlaces, beneficiating 1.512 educational institutions during 2009 with a special fund (RECURSOS EDUCATIVOS DIGITALES, 2010). That is why the aim of this research is to explore the contributions of the use of IWB in English classes in a secondary school, taking into account that "SMART interactive whiteboards are important educational tools that allow students and teachers to combine [several] resources and actions, providing touch interaction and improving the participation and results in classrooms." (MINEDUC, 2010). This objective will allow us to know how effectively the incorporation of the IWB can contribute in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language through the implementation of an educational intervention in a secondary school.