from the Faculty Center for Professional Development
May 19, 2008
There's a lot of exciting learning technology out there these days, from course management packages to interactive whiteboards to Captivate® videos to Web 2.0 to all the nifty stuff at Studio 6! But occasionally it's worth taking a step back and considering the benefits of the simplest classroom technology: chalk on a gray slate slab.
Harold White (White, 2008), describing what can happen during a Powerpoint lecture, observes that “The student has to look, listen, and try to assimilate everything quickly before it's gone…taking substantive notes is virtually impossible…providing handouts can lessen this problem but these materials then substitute for the lecture in the minds of many students.”
He also notices that many students don't write down what they hear, but will make notes on everything the instructor puts on the blackboard. Furthermore, what is written on the blackboard usually stays for a while, unlike the points in Powerpoint which disappear as soon as the slide changes – the blackboard can serve as a reminder for what came “before” in the lecture, and can point to what will come next. In short, a blackboard can offer a more holistic representation of the lecture material than slides.
The blackboard can help an instructor demonstrate expertise, too. A Powerpoint that's prepared ahead of time implies that all sorts of resources were available. Writing up a complicated formula, diagram, series of events, etc., from memory can be impressive to students. It also offers a chance to help them learn the patterns they're seeing – how did you remember all that? Probably not by rote repetition.
To read White's full commentary, which is well worth it, click on the reference link below.
Meanwhile, here are a few ideas from Michigan State University for using the board effectively:
• Start with a clean board (of course). If you're using a whiteboard instead of a blackboard, bring your own markers, eraser fluid, and paper towels. That way, you know you'll always have a good marker and eraser. It's just easier.
• Use headings and structure. Before using the board, determine the major elements of your presentation. Consider how you could logically place them on the board for visual as well as verbal presentation.
• Keep diagrams near their written descriptions and label carefully. When solving equations, show each step in a logical sequence and mark major steps and answers.
• Be neat. Print if at all possible, medium size. Test the size by looking from the back of the room.
• Don't erase! It's incredibly hard to take notes when a teacher modifies the material by erasing. Put a single line through whatever you want to erase and write the new material above. This practice has the added advantage of making your thinking, even your mistakes, clear to students. Use mistakes as teachable moments.
• Avoid talking to the board. After you write on the board, turn to face your students before speaking.
• Avoid blocking the board. Once you have finished writing, stand to one side while you discuss what you have written.
• At the end of your class, take a moment to stand in the back of the classroom and examine the board. Can you reconstruct your lecture from what is written? Could students read your writing? Are diagrams labeled?
• If you dare – ask your students to show you the notes they took during a blackboard lecture. You'll be able to tell how good your board work is if their notes are fairly complete.
White, H.B. 2008. Commentary: Lecturing With Stone Age Technology. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 36(1):65.
