There are already a significant and growing number of interactive whiteboard manufacturers, who are targeting their offerings at the school’s market.

However the reality is that some are far better attuned to assist teachers than others.

In essence there are interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and within that group there are the interactive teaching boards (ITBs).

The key is to narrow your choices down to the latter that have as their focus the schools’ market and who can provide the hardware, the software and the on-going support that schools require.

On-going support will be vital.

As with all ICT, some companies promise the world but once the sale is made the support fails to materialize.

As the features available become more common to all the providers the on-going service you receive will become even more important.

Check if possible on the support track record of the provider, particularly if you are outside a major city.

Opt for quality. Buy for the long haul. Note the boards have a significantly longer life than personal computers. Expect an increasing number of inexpensive boards to come on to the market. Examine them carefully.

Go with one brand. At this stage there are no application software standards for interactive boards and thus it is usually not possible to share material with multiple brands.

Look to ease of use, speed of take up and reliability.

Check the software. It is fundamental. With most of the offerings you can download the operating software free of charge and test it beforehand. Check for any hidden software upgrade costs.

Opt for larger boards if the budget allows. If the funds permit opt for larger, 70” boards for Y 5/6 students upward. The larger boards are particularly important if split screen use is envisaged.

Can your choice become a normal part of class operations? The aim should be to have the selected board become a normal part of all class operations.

Buy in blocks. Try if possible to buy in blocks so a group of staff can then support each other. Opt for example to go with the early childhood staff, a faculty or if relatively small the total school. In general terms forget singleton purchases, except when you’re adding to your stock of boards. Also consider buying as a block of schools, conscious of both savings in price as well as the support that can be afforded.

What teaching materials are included? Some of the providers are offering as part of the package some clever teaching software and packaged teaching materials. If the material is relevant to your curriculum it could be a very important selection variable.

Buy as a package. All of the IWBs require the IWB, a data projector, a set of peripherals and installation. In normal circumstances one should be able to negotiate a better price for the total package, or indeed a significant number of packages, than buying singleton units. However in so saying peripherals like low cost scanners and cameras can often be acquired more cheaply at the discount houses.

Check the data storage and retrieval facilities. Over time and with the networking of the IWBs in the school it will become imperative to have the facility to swiftly and simply store and retrieve large multimedia files. While the latter facility might be separate to the board the boards should be able to readily interface with that facility.

Check the guarantees. Compare what each of the providers offers. Three years for the boards should be a minimum.

What training is provided? Compare the offerings of each of the local providers.

Support and service. This is vital. IWBs will soon become an every day part of the school operations and will be for many years to come. They will be on – and will need to be on - 100% of the teaching time. You need a provider you can count on.

It is suggested you also read the Purchasing Advice section and note the comments about setting up a total 'IWB Classroom'.

Supplementary Advice

Some excellent advice on the selection of the boards can also be found at:

The BECTA ICT Advice site, at http://www.ictadvice.org.uk. Search under interactive whiteboards and consult 'How to choose an interactive whiteboard'.