Forsyth County's whiteboard evaluation questions
Primary Topic Channel: School Administration
Here is a look at the questions Forsyth County, Ga., asked during its search for interactive whiteboards:
- What is the standard warranty? Is it repaired on site or sent back? At whose cost? What is the turnaround time?
- How can the board be damaged? What happens if it is punctured or scratched? What is the replacement cost? Can it be resurfaced? How?
- How does the board function--i.e., electronic sensors, radio frequency, pressure sensitive, etc.?
- Can it be used with dry erase markers? How easily and effectively is it cleaned? What happens if a permanent marker is used?
- Is reflection or glare an issue?
- Is documentation clear and easy to understand? Is there a "Quick-Start" guide? Printed documentation? Online help files?
- Is the calibration process easy? How often is it required?
- Is a stylus required? Is it small-hand friendly? Is it durable? What kind of batteries does it require, and how long do they last? What is the replacement cost?
- How do you right-click? Can you use the stylus like a mouse with left and right-click capabilities, or must you use the toolbar or control panel?
- Is the Toolbar/Control Panel intuitive and easy to use? Can it be customized? Can its location be moved to different parts of the screen for easier access by short or tall users?
- How do you change the format of your annotation pen? (I.e., color, thickness, transparency)
- Is there a "Reveal" function to cover and reveal parts of the display? Can the transparency be adjusted?
- What curriculum resources or instructional support is available?
- What's included in the way of pre-made activities and manipulatives? Who created them, and how is the quality? Base 10 blocks? Grids? Rulers? Clocks? Money? Thermometer? Maps?
- Do the activities and/or gallery have a robust search feature?
- Can the user add to the activity, template, or gallery resources? If the user adds to the activities or gallery, will his or her contribution be included in searches?
- Can activities be correlated to and saved by state standards? Searched by state standards?
- Can saved files, templates, presentations, etc., be shared with other users easily over a network? How?
- Is included instructional software licensed for use on other computers? How many? Can it be used without the board? For student use at home?
- What formats are available for users to save, export, and share documents and activities? (HTML, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
- How easily can the user import or use existing lessons or presentations? How? What formats?