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Evaluating interactive whiteboards and classroom workflows

An interactive whiteboard is useful when interaction improves the lesson and the equipment works reliably in its room. Evaluate the complete setup, including computer, display or projector, software and input method. A demonstration should use the school’s real teaching materials and managed accounts, with time allowed for startup and reset.

Schools Direct editorialUpdated 2 min read

Define the interaction you want to improve

Choose a specific activity, such as pupils grouping examples, annotating a shared text or explaining a diagram. Identify what interaction adds to the teaching. This helps distinguish a useful function from a feature that looks impressive during a demonstration but rarely fits the school’s lessons.

Check viewing angles, writing reach and the effect of someone standing at the board. Compare the room’s lighting and seating arrangement with the proposed setup. A resource must be readable when pupils are using it, not just when an empty board is viewed from the centre of the room.

Test the complete technical arrangement

Identify every component required for display, input and sound. Ask the IT team to verify software availability, account permissions and current compatibility for the exact products under consideration. Confirm any licences and how they are assigned or renewed. Do not assume that a file prepared for one system will preserve every interactive feature on another.

In a trial lesson, open a normal teaching file, annotate it, save the result to an approved location and reopen it. Check how a second teacher starts their own session. Include calibration or alignment steps where the particular system requires them, and record who can resolve common problems.

Build operation into the room routine

Provide a clearly labelled location for pens, remotes or other input accessories. Keep a short startup and shutdown guide beside the equipment, using the actual connections and controls. Maintain a straightforward fallback activity when a lesson cannot wait for technical troubleshooting.

Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and maintenance instructions for each component. Record recurring faults, missing accessories and software changes so support staff can identify patterns. Review use after a term with teachers: the goal is dependable access to useful teaching activities, with manageable preparation and support time, rather than frequent use of every available feature.

Action checklist

  • Choose a teaching activity that benefits from interaction.
  • Verify every component and software dependency.
  • Test saving and reopening real teaching work.
  • Assign accessory storage and first-line support.

Common questions

Can existing interactive lesson files always be reused?

Check them in the proposed system. Ordinary content may transfer while specialist interactive features, fonts or media behave differently.

Sources and scope

Source titles are provided for reference. Check the current original guidance and your school's circumstances before making a policy or compliance decision.

  • Schools Direct editorial — Original school resource planning guidance and worked examples. Checked 1 November 2026.

See how we prepare and maintain our guidance.

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