Abstract: This review appeared on 30 July, 2007, in the "Computer Corner" column of Education: Journal of the NSW Teachers Federation, Vol 88. No. 8, and compares the Wacom Graphire Bluetooth with interactive white boards (IWB).

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Which is mightier: the tablet or the board?

Interactive white boards (IWB) are the latest rage in educational technology. Announcements have been made, that every school (Govt school in NSW) will soon receive an IWB. However, we have been testing a solution which we feel is at least comparable and in some ways is not only preferable, but also cheaper than an IWB.

A Bluetooth Pen Tablet from Wacom has been in our possession for the last few months and we are very impressed with its capabilities. The Wacom bundle includes a graphire pen tablet, a Bluetooth adaptor and a cordless mouse as well as bundled software including: Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, Inspiration and InspireData. We also used the PenPlus Personal software that we downloaded from the PenPlus website [Note from Wacom: PenPlus trial is available in Japanese only. Also check out JustWrite Office for use with Microsoft Office products]. PenPlus software allows you to do all the things you can do on an IWB such as, write on the desktop, highlight, erase, zoom in to specific screen areas, take screen shots and paste into Excel, Word and Outlook Express. We also turned on the handwriting recognition features of Microsoft Word so that we could input directly into our documents.

It must be stated that if you wish to input a lot of text, then a mouse and keyboard are the preferred option rather than an IWB or a pen tablet. When it comes to drawing or using graphics programs, pen tablets have always been the preferred option because of their pressure sensitivity and their resemblance to a pencil. However, when it comes to presentations or demonstrations both a Bluetooth Pen Tablet and an IWB would be the preferred options.

How do the two options compare? When it comes to cost, then the clear winner is the Bluetooth Tablet. Both options need a data projector and computer and for the price of an IWB you can purchase four or more Bluetooth Pen Tablets. As a matter of fact you can use four or more Bluetooth Pen Tablets in the same classroom so that the teacher and small groups of students can contribute to the lesson.

The Bluetooth Pen Tablet also gives the teacher more freedom to move within the classroom rather than being restricted to the whiteboard screen. No matter where you are in the classroom, you can still interact and input into the computer. Another plus for the Bluetooth is its ability to project onto any size wall and its portability. This means it can be moved within and between classrooms quite easily.

Where the IWB shines is when it comes to kinaesthetic learners. Many students like the tactile approach to learning and therefore enjoy moving things around on the screen with their fingers. An effective example of this would be students moving states of Australia around on the IWB in order to create a complete map of the country. The downside is that the number of participants is reduced to one or two students as they have to approach and work from the IWB rather than having four or five tablets around the room on which to take turns.

Which is the most suitable for your school? We suggest that you contact both an IWB supplier and Wacom and invite them to come out to demonstrate their products so you can make an informed decision in relation to making these expensive purchases.

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Source: "Computer Corner," Education: Journal of the NSW Teachers Federation, Vol 88. No. 8. 30 July, 2007.

Software and hardware reviewed by Rosemary McDowall and Bill Gillespie. Bill teaches at Kanwal Primary School while Rosemary teaches at Wadalba Central School. They can be contacted at computer_corner2000@yahoo.com