Added Value?

In this article we have sketched a number of features and options that a language teacher can use to support, in an efficient way, those episodes in the course of a lesson that are relevant to organise in a plenary mode for process and / or content reasons. Koenraad (2008) shows in his analysis of the international research literature that effective use of the digiboard can offer added value to educational
processes. It helps to focus the attention (cinema effect), increases concentration and motivation, offers more opportunities for interaction and cooperation and facilitates the dynamic use of resources such as software and the Internet. On the other hand some recent evaluation studies also show that without a high level of
professionalism and well-designed materials no significant educational improvement can be achieved.
An obvious trap -especially for language teachers - is the temptation to use the digiboard as a kind of ' OHP with anabolic steroids' mainly for knowledge transfer purposes. After all, learning a language remains mainly a matter of actually using it receptively and productively. It is for this reason that opinions about the alleged added value of the digiboard for language education vary in the
(international) community of teachers of modern languages. Silent witnesses to the discussion are a number of (parts of) titles of publications and blog items such as:
'Interactive Whiteboards: Boon or Bandwagon? "Interactive, Quite Bored' or 'White Elephant or teacher's pet?" and "Interactive Whiteboards: real beauty or just lipstick?".
In our view the methodology for the use of this technology in language education is still in its infancy. However, it is evident that real interactivity requires dialogic skills and specifically designed materials and procedures. On the other hand: the contribution to the
efficiency of organising language learning activities is equally clear: no more hassle with various pieces of equipment.
Our expectation is that interactive whiteboards, in the hands of a creative teacher who is prepared to experiment with its affordances,
can contribute to making plenary moments in the language classroom more attractive, dynamic and effective.