THE WHITEBOARD AS A LEARNING TOOL: STRATEGIES FOR MEANINGFUL LEARNING

Back to Page Authors: M. Woolley, L. Orlando

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Keywords: meaningful learning, learning tool, study strategies, learning strategies

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Abstract: Whiteboards allow students to be fully participatory in their own learning experience. This physical learning tool encourages students to process content visually, auditorily, and kinaesthetically either in a group or individual setting. Weinstein and Underwood (1985) discuss the importance of learning strategies such as rehearsing, imaging, outlining, and elaborating on course content in order for long term retention. By using the whiteboard, many active learning strategies can be well implemented as the student must retrieve content and demonstrate an effective recall system of encoding and reconceptualising. This affordable and mobile studying and self-testing tool is commonly used by students to develop interactive concept maps. This learning strategy promotes meaningful learning by visually connecting big concepts with the various small details as it supports students to graduate from linear thinking of understanding the content to a more integrated and holistic pattern (Daley & Torre, 2010). Ambrose et al. (2010) asserts how knowledge is organized by students greatly impacts how the course content and messages are learned as well as how they are applied. The application of content is especially imperative as this critical thinking component is essential for students to surpass learning the surface layer of content and develop the links between information in order to reach the goal of content mastery (Nelson & Crow, 2014).

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