Interactive whiteboards in media education concepts
Interactive whiteboards: A key element for collaborative learning in education
Digital whiteboards have evolved from simple presentation tools to essential building blocks of educational digitalisation within modern media education concepts. Studies, training content, and school-based best practices clearly show: The true value of interactive whiteboards unfolds when they are didactically embedded, used in participatory ways, and complemented by suitable platforms.
Didactic perspectives on whiteboard use
Recent studies in Germany – such as the DigitalPakt Schule Progress Report 2023–2024 or the extended Visible Learning 2.0 study – confirm: Interactive whiteboards reach their full potential when used for collaborative, visual, and activating learning scenarios. Their role as mere presentation devices is clearly secondary to collaborative and multimedia-based applications. What matters is not the technology itself, but how it is used pedagogically.
From equipment to concept
A sustainable media education concept doesn’t develop on the side. It requires clear planning, educational goals, and well-founded training for all involved. Schools face the challenge of not just acquiring equipment, but integrating digital media meaningfully into both teaching and school development.
A helpful resource in this development process is the Fobizz training “Creating a Media Education Concept for Your School”. It supports schools in assessing their current situation, defining goals, and developing concrete measures – including the informed selection of technical solutions. The guiding principle: digital media should be used with pedagogical intent, not for technology’s sake.
Educational support by i3CONNECT
i3CONNECT recognised early on the importance of educational guidance and a well-structured onboarding process. We actively support schools in understanding the interactive whiteboard not as a stand-alone tool, but as part of a connected learning environment. Both teachers and IT staff are empowered to implement the solution securely from a technical perspective and purposefully from a didactic one.
To achieve this, two complementary formats are available:
- i3CONNECT Academy: an online learning platform with modular, practice-oriented content for self-guided onboarding.
- On-site Trainings: These sessions cover real-life application scenarios, didactic methods, and technical insights in a collaborative setting.
Both formats aim to build a school-wide understanding of how to use interactive whiteboards in a pedagogically meaningful way – embedded in a consistent media education strategy.
Conclusion
Interactive whiteboards are most effective when embedded in a well-founded educational concept. They create opportunities for participation, collaboration, and creative engagement with digital media. To unlock this potential in the classroom, targeted training, reliable guidance, and flexible support are essential – just as offered by i3CONNECT. This turns digital whiteboards into more than just a tech upgrade – they become a driver of vibrant, collaborative learning cultures.